Stuck in Between
by nonsense-kouyou
Summary: Eyes hold secrets, isn't that so? And Natsume never knew the secret of his own. The mysterious origins of the present slowly unravel as the situation gets direr... something is seeking revenge, turning everything upside down, and making Natsume question where he stands and for what reasons. (In-progress, description may change)
1. Prologue

This is a simple prologue to get you into spirit. Normal chapters will be longer.

By the way, this is based on the anime, not the manga, so expect Natsume's initial appearance to be with orange-honey eyes and hay-blond hair.

* * *

"Did you hear? They say they found a body by the river bank early this morning."

"Really? That's awful…"

"On my way, I saw some police cars and an ambulance parked by the river, but I couldn't get close. So that's what it was all about…"

"Do you think it could have been… someone we know?"

"Don't think about it now."

"Ah, my father heard from a friend of his, who's a police officer, that it might have been a homicide. Also, they have identified the victim."

The three girls that had been talking turned to look at the fourth one with anxiety, as they waited to hear the name of the deceased. Could it have been someone they knew?

"It was Natsume Takashi." The fourth girl said without batting an eyelash since the name was unknown to her. But two of the girls gasped in recognition as their eyebrows shot up and their eyes widened in horror. One of them seemed particularly shaken. She stopped walking as her schoolbag, released from her grip, fell silently on the ground, muddy from the previous night's rain, and she lowered her head with disbelief, giving the empty of cars road in front of her a blank, lifeless stare.

The other girl turned to look at her with confirmation, only to realize how shocked she was. "Sasada…" she placed a hand on her friend's shoulder comfortingly.

"…Natsume? But… No, Natsume can't… " Sasada mumbled in response and her legs started trembling, ready to give up on her and let her crash down, next to her muddy schoolbag. She felt those horrifying Goosebumps in her stomach, the chill run down her spine, all those terrifying emotions one ends up feeling upon realization of a person's death, that sudden snapping of the thread that used to connect them.

As if on cue, a single drum-rolling thunder and the gradually enhancing pitter-patter of the raindrops commenced the continuation of last night's awful storm.

.

.

The police officer averted his gaze from the two specialists that proceeded to gently tuck the body of the poor boy, who had so tragically lost his life, into a yellow body bag. His clothes were still dump and torn, signs of his torment. Most of the blood had been washed away from them, but there was a tad of crimson blending in with the white of the boy's shirt, under which three deep gashes were fated never to heal.

However, the officer couldn't help but spare one last sad glance at the boy's face; so pale, vacant of life and emotions, disturbingly calm. What a pity really.

"You all right, rookie?"

A big heavy hand gripped the police officer's shoulder. He turned to look at the muscular tall man that was his superior with more despair than he would have wished to show.

"Why don't you go sit in the car now? I'll take things from here…"

The rookie silently nodded with gratitude and turned away to slowly trudge towards the police car that had been parked nearby, next to an ambulance that had arrived futilely. His superior sighed heavily as he looked down at the corpse. Even he couldn't stand unfazed. Murders were not common in his peaceful town, and this event was particularly worrying and unpleasant.

He had recognized the boy's delicate features immediately; he was the kid that used to buy manjuus from his wife's shop, a regular customer. He'd met him once when his wife had had a problem with her hip and he had had to take over the shop for a few days. That boy had been so nice and polite and had even asked about his wife's condition with worry. He had brought a cat with him too, a fat one that had tried to eat half of the sweets that were on display. And if he recalled correctly, the Fujiwaras, acquaintances of his family, had taken him in a while ago.

How was he supposed to tell them? He had always hated being the bearer of bad news.

"What the-?"

The two men that were responsible for putting the body in the bag scrambled away with surprise, leaving the bag only halfway zipped as they quickly stood up on their feet.

"What's wrong?" the officer demanded strictly.

"H-hair… his hair!" one of them stuttered weakly and pointed at the body.

The man speechlessly turned to see for himself, taken aback by such a weird statement.

The boy's hair was… indeed turning white. The officer's mouth gaped in disbelief as he observed the warm, dusty-blond colour fade away from strands of hair that were mysteriously being dyed silver right before his eyes.

The breeze that had been blowing suddenly grew stronger, to the point that the man had to shield his eyes from the moaning wind.

There.

Squinting with effort, the man managed to make out the shape of a white round figure standing at the top of the steep river bank. Actually, it was not entirely white, as there were orange and grey patches on its back. A pig? No, its ears were too pointy and upright. Its almond-shaped eyes were intensely fixated on something next to him.

"That's…" the superior officer muttered with surprise as he recognized the cat.

Suddenly, there was a deafening crackle of thunder, accompanied by the great flash of the lightning that stroke somewhere nearby. The wind swirled violently towards all directions, and the three men were thrown to the ground by the incredible force. The police officer, whose hat had been blown away, felt the first raindrops crash against his forehead. When they all opened their eyes again, everything was absurdly calm. The rain was falling to the muddy grass below their feet, and there was no eerie wind.

However, there was something missing. The yellow body bag had been abruptly ripped to pieces that had been scattered all around. Natsume Takshi 's body had mysteriously disappeared without a trace…

...

"…Sen-…-sei…"

"It's ok Natsume. I've got you now. Everything is going to be alright." He heard the soothing deep voice of his faithful cat guardian.

For some reason, Natsume felt too much fatigue to attempt to open his eyes. His limbs were numb, and an excruciating pain coming from his abdomen made breathing a difficult, painful process. A chilling breeze was beating his face with force, and that weird sensation of dizziness made him assume that he was flying up in the sky.

"It hurts…" Natsume whispered. He frowned and greeted his teeth in distress. His fingers dug deep into the white, soft, thick fur of Nyanko, seeking comfort and help. However, he withdrew his hand upon realizing that the fur was unpleasantly wet and warm. Nyanko's muscles twitched slightly.

"Try not to talk or move. You're injured."

"Sensei… You're bleeding…" Natsume noticed.

There was no answer, other than a stiff huff.

For the next few moments, Natsume lay still on Nyanko's back, trying to forget the pain and get his confused thoughts in order. Everything was a nasty blur. "Where…"

"I'm taking you to an old friend of mine. They will know what to do. Now try to save your strength." Nyanko's following furious words were the last thing Natsume heard before his consciousness drifted back to the darkness: "I'm going to get that bastard for what he did. I'm going to devour-no, better yet, tear his body to shreds and throw his head in the sea! Curse him! Curse him!"

* * *

Well? Are you curious to find out how Natsume got into such a mess? Leave a review and tell me your opinion! Thank you in advance.

I'll try not to let you down, so see you next time! Hope next chapter's better!


	2. The Fine Day of a Beginning

Um... So... yeah! Enjoy!

Also, cliffhanger alert...

* * *

"What's so funny?"

Natsume swallowed his laughter and tried to calmly explain the situation, but just as his face started to become serious, he burst out into giggles again, clutching his belly. Nishimura turned to glance at Kitamoto with utter confusion, only to find that he was trying to keep himself from laughing as well, with his face buried half-way into the warmth of his blue scarf to hide his toothy smirk.

"What? What's so funny?" he demanded to know and spread his arms to the left and to the right, inviting them to give him an answer.

"Shh…! You'll scare it away!" Natsume whispered through his laughter, waving his hand up and down to calm his frustrated friend.

"I'm going to get a photo of this…" Kitamoto vigilantly took out his cell phone and tried to find the perfect angle for the photo.

"What!?" Nishimura repeated again and blinked with a grimace as the flashlight of Kitamoto's cell phone camera hit his eyes.

The little brownish-black sparrow that had been peacefully sitting on top of Nishimura's head, scratching its wings with its beak as if nothing weird was going on, got scared by the sudden strong light and flapped its wings in panic to get away as quickly as it could, chirping in fear until it disappeared into the dark heavy clouds of the sky.

"What's wrong, you guys?"

Kitamoto showed him the successfully taken picture, and Nishimura couldn't help but grin as well. "How come it didn't get scared?" he asked and finally cracked a smile.

"A sign of luck?" Kitamoto suggested and Natsume shrugged in agreement.

"I sure hope this means that Taki will give me a hug or something…" Nishimura mumbled.

"Whatever. Oh!" Kitamoto suddenly snapped his fingers and looked up with a wondrous expression. "I just remembered! I bought the CD with that ninja movie you wanted to see!"

"WHAT?" Nishimura placed his arm around Kitamoto's neck, literally hanging from him with gratitude.

"Yeah, we should watch it sometime!" his friend gave him a thumbs-up with a victorious smug.

"This movie…What's it about?" Natsume asked with some hesitation, not sure if it was ok to butt in like that.

It was rare for him to express interest in a movie like that, so the two friends realized that this was one of those rare chances.

"We should definitely watch it all together! Today! How about today? I don't have cram school because the teacher got ill! It's the perfect day!" Nishimura exclaimed excitedly.

"And, above all, it's Friday, which means we don't have school tomorrow!" Kitamoto added.

"Perfect!"

"My house! We should buy some snacks on the way!"

"I get the chips!"

"I get the liquids!"

"You're making it sound like we're going to have alcohol or something worse…"

"Um… Sorry, but I can't come." Natsume said nervously, shattering their joyful mood in mere seconds.

"Again? Why is every Friday Chores-day for you?" Nishimura whined and patted Natsume's shoulders with a bit more force than necessary. Natsume smiled weakly as he was shaken back and forth by Nishimura's friendly pats.

"It can't be helped. Since Touko-san has started working part-time on Fridays I decided to help around a bit and cook lunch for everybody on those days."

His two friends, tall and short, turned to look at him with dumbstruck expressions. He stared back awkwardly and the easy-going, usual smile dispersed from his face as he spotted a worrying spark of sudden interest in Nishimura's eyes. "Wh-What is it?" He questioned with confusion.

"You can actually cook?" Nishimura asked with a mischievous smirk and leaned closer towards him.

"Yes…" Natsume scratched the back of his neck absent-mindedly. "Though I'm not that good at it…" he admitted with a nervous laugh.

"That's ok, even a small bit of cooking will attract the girls!" he congratulated with excitement, but then his mood literally swung outside of a spiritual window as he kneeled down on the floor, staring at the dirt gloomily. Nishimura exhaled dramatically and his shoulders drooped even more, while his friends exchanged awkward glares. "Why do you have to have such charisma? At this rate, you're going to be an ikemen! Yes, that's right, you'll be the main attraction-" (he said so with quite a quirky, failed attempt of mimicking an English accent)"-stealing all the girl's hearts, like a roller coaster! Why am I the old, boring carousel?!" he complained childishly.

Natsume couldn't help but giggle at the overdramatic display. Kitamoto sighed with annoyance as he grabbed Nishimura by the collar of his black uniform and abruptly forced him up on his feet. "I think that's enough." He scolded.

Nishimura wiped his knees to get rid of the dirt while shooting his friend nasty glares. Kitamoto ignored that completely." I'd like to see how well you can cook…" he narrowed his eyes suspiciously and held his chin with one hand sceptically, trying to imagine his friend in an apron, holding a pot while mixing some kind of soup in it and grinning confidently. "I've got it!" Kitamoto suddenly snapped his fingers and pointed at Natsume, who backed away in surprise "I'm challenging you to a cooking match!" He announced.

Natsume's mouth hung open. "A-wah-" he tried to stutter.

"Ok, I think that's enough." Nishimura sarcastically imitated Kitamoto's tone and shook his head with disappointment. "You see, Kitamoto's a roller coaster as well!" he explained with some jealously depicted on his stiff expression, refusing to look at his best friend directly.

Kitamoto nodded proudly. "I got cooking lessons 101 from my older cousin during the summer! I can basically nail every dish that belongs in the Japanese cuisine now!"

"And then he says I'm the one whose head gets over the clouds…" Nishimura whispered to Natsume's ear, who chuckled innocently at the truth of that fact. Kitamoto had a laid-back attitude most of the time and knew his limits, but sometimes he did get obsessed with something and acted with overexcitement and confidence. Whenever that happened, his friends were sure to be there when he'd get over it to painfully remind him of his childish behaviour and failures.

Natsume noticed that they had reached the usual spot where they had to split up. He stopped walking and turned to tell his friends that he was going, but they were already waving goodbye at him, having recognized that turn as well.

"How about we watch the movie tomorrow at my house, along with Tanuma and the girls?" Kitamoto suggested.

Nishimura was overcome with joy. "Yes!" he agreed with excitement and gave a little hop. "You know exactly how to spice things up a bit!"

"See you tomorrow then!" Nishimura shouted happily, while Kitamoto kept waving behind him with a calm smile.

Natsume waved back without hesitating, always with his unwavering crooked grin. His two friends stopped looking back shortly after and disappeared into the distance. Natsume turned to look ahead of him as well and started to stride confidently. The supermarket was close by…

Gradually, Natsume picked up his pace. His cheerful expression soon turned grim. He couldn't sense any dangerous presences, but that was what was inexplicably unsettling. The way the wind blew eerily through the empty street, the lack of the usual clatter of the birds at these hours, the feeling that he was being watched by something he couldn't sense and knew wasn't really there, it all made him advance to a worried trot. Perhaps it was because of the upcoming storm and the clouds that loomed threateningly above the small town. There was no reason to be so flustered…

.

.

Natsume entered the yard of his house with contentment, carrying two plastic bags filled with goodies he would need for his cooking. He noticed that Touko-san had forgotten to take down the clothes with a distant smile, staring at the colourful rows of fabric that hung loosely from the washing lines, swaying calmly to the rhythms of the strong autumn breeze. He would have to get them down before the rain.

He took out the key from his school bag with impatience and then unlocked the door. The welcoming creak the door made as it was slid open, along with the sudden wave of heat coming from the inside of the cosy house made Natsume feel nostalgic. Quickly, he snuck in and closed the door behind him. He happily dumped his shoes neatly in the corner and unbuttoned his black uniform to hang it, then climbed that one little step that separated him from the rest of the house's first floor.

"Nyanko-sensei, I'm home!" he announced, even though he was sure the old fat cat had probably already sensed his presence.

Natsume headed to the kitchen immediately and placed the shopping bags on the counter before rolling up his sleeves and washing his hands. Realizing that Nyanko hadn't replied, he frowned with suspicion and decided to give it one more try. "Sensei?" he called as he closed the tap to stop the water from being wasted and waited.

Seeing as no answer came, he sighed angrily and continued his work. "I bet he left as soon as I came back and went to drink again…" Natsume mumbled as he searched the cupboard underneath the sink. He retrieved a pan from there and placed it on the counter.

The cooking process was one that was both exciting and tiring. He had to watch the food constantly and make sure that nothing would be overcooked, or undercooked, and he had to be very careful when cutting the vegetables into little pieces. Last Friday, he had accidentally cut his thumb, and he was stubbornly trying not to repeat the same mistake.

Finally, once everything was done, Natsume placed the food in a large round bowl and stood back to admire his creation with joy.

He allowed himself to rest a bit and sat down on a chair after rolling his sleeves down again. It was strangely silent now that not even Nyanko-sensei was there. Only the irritating sound of the remaining water that was slowly dripping from the tap down to the kitchen sink shattered that tranquil state. Shigeru-san had to fix the leakage problem at some point.

Natsume placed his elbow on the table and leaned on his arm with mild boredom. _'What now? Should I do my homework? Oh, that's right, I have to get the clothes down…'_ He sighed and the chair screeched as he got up again.

It was quiet. Too quiet. Feeling very uncomfortable, with a nasty feeling starting to build up inside him, he decided to hurry outside.

BAM!

Natsume stopped in his tracks and a chill run down his spine. The sudden sound that came from upstairs had almost scared the soul out of him. "Sensei? Is that you?" he called with some uncertainty, as he tried to catch his breath again. Seeing as no answer came, he remained silent after that, trying to pick up any other following noises.

"Perhaps I forgot a window open and the wind knocked something down…" he speculated as calmly as he could. _'But what if it was a yokai…?'_

Nyanko was not there, so he couldn't expect any help. Both of his foster parents were working until late. And to make matters worse, the Yuujinchou was still upstairs. Oh how much he regretted not taking it with him that morning!

On the tips of his toes, he carefully made his way outside the kitchen and to the staircase. Trying not to step on any creaking boards of the floor, he slowly climbed up, with his heart racing with worry. Once his eyes were at a height where he could easily see the second floor, he stopped and scanned the corridor while leaning on the handrail, ready to dash off at any sight of danger. Wearing shocks proved to be troublesome at the moment since his feet started slipping on the smooth surface of the floor.

"Nyanko-sensei!" he whispered demandingly, still hoping that the fat maneki cat would appear at his room's doorway and give him that usual grumpy look.

There was an eerie presence lurking around for sure. Natsume could feel it in the marrow of his bones. All of his senses were at their peak. Realizing that going upstairs was a bad idea after all, he slowly climbed down a few steps, as silently as he could, not wanting to be detected by whatever had made its way in his house. That thing was terrifyingly powerful, to be able to cause so many shivers to his body. And it definitely wasn't there for a friendly conversation.

"Natsume. I CAN SEE YOU, NATSUME. REIKO'S GRANDSON. NATSUME OF THE YUUJINCHOU"

That awfully hoarse, cold and threatening voice made the hair on the back of his neck rise. Without a second thought or even a glance behind him, he ran down the stairs as fast as he could. He greeted his teeth and his face drew back in fear as two giant hands grabbed him from the waste. Natsume yelped and squirmed into the giant yokai's grasp, in an attempt to break free. "Let go!" he bellowed and angrily started throwing punches and kicks everywhere. His elbow found the yokai in something slimy, probably its eye, causing it to yelp in pain.

Natsume quickly slipped away and run down the rest of the stairs, heading right towards the exit. He would have to give that fat cat a lecture afterwards…

But there was not enough time. The yokai quickly recovered and went after him. Its thick fingers wrapped themselves around his body again and he was shoved in the wall. The force with which his body crashed with the hard bricks forced the air out of his lungs, making him painfully gasp for air.

"I AM TAKING YOU TO MY MASTER!" the unknown ayakashi hissed.

Natsume's wide eyes caught a glimpse of the monster's face before a plain white cloth was tied around his eyes. It had green skin and it was bald, the shape of its head somewhat resembling that of a human's. However, two tall horns protruded from the corners of its wrinkly forehead, and its eyes had ebony-black sclera and neon red irises. Its features were harsh and indelicate. But what was most disturbing was the fact that it averted its gaze once their eyes met with shame.

.

.

"I'm home! Sorry for being late, Takashi-kun!" Touko-san announced as she took out her shoes with a tired sigh, having just returned home from work. She held a big hamper of clothes, having just collected them from outside. Luckily, there had been no rain yet.

"I do hope you've already eaten instead of having waited for me," she added sinisterly as she placed the hamper by the door and headed to the kitchen to inspect the situation. Were she to discover that the food had been untouched like last time, she'd have to scold that child for its extreme politeness.

"Takashi-kun?" she called again, but there was no answer.

Touko-san, upon entering the kitchen, saw the bowl of food lying on the table, with the cellophane that was covering it still neatly stretched across the bowl. There were no unwashed dishes to account for either.

"… He ate and cleaned up after himself…" she mumbled with joy, happy to see that Natsume was taking responsibilities. "Or…" then her eyebrows drooped "He still hasn't eaten at all…Takashi-kun!" she called again.

Since there was no reply, her expression stiffened and her smile turned upside down, this time with worry. He wasn't home.

The heat of the house had made her sweat slightly. Touko-san unwrapped a rubber band that was on her wrist and gathered her hair to tie them. The short ponytail that was formed was bushy and messy, but she didn't care about appearances. _'It's not like him to leave without a word… perhaps he left a note on his desk?'_ She thought as she tightened the ponytail one last time and nodded to herself.

Hastily, she headed upstairs to check if her premonition was correct.

The door of Natsume's room was closed. Touko-san frowned and slowly slid it open, only to gasp with surprise at the freezing gust of wind that entered the rest of the house. Ignoring the cold, she turned on the lights and looked around.

The room was disappointingly empty. Natsume's desk, next to the miniature bookshelf, by the corner, seemed awfully poor, with only a few books scattered on its surface and that old lamp. Opposite it was the lonely wardrobe, and in the middle, there was the short table that one could so easily stumble on. Many times, Touko-san had asked him if he wished to have more furniture or decorations, but he had always shrugged the suggestion off with a polite smile. The big south-view window was wide open, now a pitch black hole leading to the darkness of the night outside, allowing the chilliness to reach inside. The strong breeze caused the blue curtains to sway eerily at its wake, like an ominous warning.

Hurriedly, Touko-san closed the window and then massaged her forehead with a sigh, shifting her weight to one leg uncomfortably. The curtains stopped swaying. The dim light finally seemed to affect the colours of the room and made the light green floor appear softer and more appealing to the eye. She glanced at the desk to her left anxiously. No crumbled piece of paper with Natsume's scribbling was present.

"Where could he have gone at such a late hour? It's already seven o'clock..." she muttered and grasped her rosy cheek with worry. "It's dark outside…"

The unbearable, intense silence was suddenly interrupted by a demanding clack. Touko-san looked around with frustration, but couldn't spot the inexplicable source of the sound. The clattering sound continued for a few more seconds, in which the poor middle-aged lady started to fret, and then a petit, brown vase made of clay that had been discreetly placed on the bookshelf, fell and crashed on the floor, shattering into tiny pieces. Touko-san instinctively pulled back from the fallen object as a mysterious strong wind swirled into the room, causing both her hair and the curtains next to her shoot upwards. The window complainingly screeched as it was being opened by an unknown force. Touko-san let out a yelp and shielded her head, curling in the corner with her eyes tightly shut as the wind made its way outside.

Invisible as he was, Nyanko-sensei, in his prompt, white inugami form leapt into the humid, obscured sky and let out a fearsome roar that scared away half of the bird population in the neighbourhood but went unheard by any humans, including Touko-san. Whoever had sealed him was going to learn of Madara's fury. His big white brows met each other as he scowled, the red lines that formed elegant designs on his face drawn back and distorted and his fangs bared. What really bothered him was that he had been caught off guard so very easily. This could only mean that this time the enemy was not to be taken lightly. And in addition, he had a very bad feeling regarding the origins of the suspicious scent that lingered in the air... A familiar one, that he wished would have disappeared long ago.

.

.

.

"So, this wimp is the mighty successor of Reiko?"

"Yes, master."

"Are you sure? Was that filthy traitor there?"

"Yes master. I dealt with him exactly as master instructed. The seal master gave me worked perfectly."

"How pathetic! Is this all the descendant of the mighty Reiko has to offer? My revenge has to be more passionate. I could end it all by biting his head off, but that would be boring."

Natsume tried to rid himself from the dizziness, but his head still hurt for some unknown reason. He had his eyes wide open, yet a blank white was all he could see since the cloth was still covering half of his face. He recognized the voice of the yokai that had kidnapped him, but the other one, a more hoarse and chilly one, had an uncomfortable feeling about it. He tried moving but found his hands and legs were tied together. Wherever he was, it was cold and humid, and his clothes were slightly dump, making him soak in the cold and tremble desperately. Judging by the rough, rocky surface underneath him, he had been tossed on the floor.

"Leave me, Iwaho. I shall converse with this stinking mutt." The rough voice ordered.

"As you wish, master."

Natsume felt the presence of the weaker yokai disappear, but at the same time, the unpleasant, powerful aura of the other ayakashi, the one Iwaho had referred to as 'master', closed in. The overflow of negativity that stemmed from the yokai was exerting a kind of spiritual pressure that would have crushed him long ago, were it physical.

"I am Madoka. Be grateful for receiving my attention." The hoarse voice introduced itself with hatred seemingly dripping from those words.

Natsume opened his mouth and tried to shout angrily, but no sound came out other than his heavy breathing. Confused, he tried again, but again nothing happened.

"That's right. You're not allowed to talk right now."

He squirmed a bit, but whatever was binding his limbs didn't budge. He was completely at the mercy of that shady monster. So what did it want? The Yuujinchou? It said something about revenge… Perhaps its name was in the book too- no, it would be stupid to tell him its name. Then again, he couldn't talk, nor move… Was he really worth all those percussions?

"Don't look down on me. Not even your filthy grandmother could beat me." The yokai barked. "That woman was useless in the end, just like any other human, even though she had potential. She possessed such power, yet never did use it for anyone's sake. She was selfish and self-centred. She acted like a human. A filthy, weak, human!

I was once her follower, you know. But I realized my mistake soon enough. That's why I had a curse placed on her! A curse of my very own hatred! One that is still being passed down in the Natsume generation. Do you want to know what the curse is? DO YOU? Even though that damn traitor has been eating away at it, it's still there, rooted into you! Just as your ancestors, you are going to die at the peak of your youth, and you're going to suffer in pain for ten days before that, lacking sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch, without any senses, unable to communicate with any other being! You're going to die alone, in anguish and in darkness, as my five other siblings did!

That's the truth of the invisible curse you bear. And now that we're discussing truths, I'm going to reveal another secret that the traitor has kept from you, Reiko's Grandson. Have you ever wondered why you are of the select few that can see us ayakashi? Fate? Perhaps, but not in your case. Not in Reiko's case. You've inherited the eyes of a dragon. These eyes have also given you extraordinary spiritual power, as they have become part of you. A little bit of you is not human. You're something in between, something abnormal. A mutt.

That traitor, Madara, has been secretly leeching off your power in order to free himself from Reiko's binds. Unlike me, it seems he hasn't gotten rid of her restraints completely. What a fool. He could have gouged out your eyes and eaten them to end things. Yet he decides to keep his promise to a long-dead human, acting like the pet dog he is!

Speaking of the traitor, I believe he is going to arrive any minute now to watch the show.

I am going to devour you, Reiko's Grandson, right in front of his eyes. But that is after I force your eyes to truly open. I'm going to awaken your blood."

* * *

And that's it for now. Major cliffhanger right there. Please review!

Also, please compromise and allow me to use the suffixes like -san, -kun, -sensei (etc) and I'm saying that because I know some people don't like that. It's just that it would feel a little too weird to use the names without the proper suffixes, you know? It's like eating pizza without cheese! It's necessary for me!

Thanks for all the reviews!


	3. Bloody Confrontation

I want to thank everyone who has read the story so far as well, and everyone who has followed or marked it as favorite! **THANK YOU!**

Quick question: Do you dislike sudden changes between scenes, places, time, etc?

Also, before you start reading, I'd like to warn you that this chapter has a bit of slash n' blood and stuff, plus it's a bit darker than I originally intended to make it… Things will definitely brighten up later though. Perhaps this is not gory enough as I describe it… I dunno, you tell me. For me, it's not gory at all. But I felt like putting this warning up since I don't think many of you would expect to see blood in a Natsume Yuujinchou fanfic. (Yes, ok, the prologue had a dead Natsume, that's already not something you'll normally see in a NaYuu fanfic either…) I think I'm just stalling right now… Ok, go ahead and read… Forget everything I've said.

P.S. I'm not very good at describing fight scenes! So if everything seems too crappy or hard to picture, that's because I don't know half the words required for that, and in addition, I rarely ever attempt to write fight scenes, so I'm as inexperienced as a newly-hatched moth. Yay! And hence, you'll notice how quickly I end fights.

* * *

The spite in the yokai's voice echoed in Natsume's ears. He wasn't sure what that monologue had been about, but it had certainly startled him. A curse? Dragon Eyes? Ayakashi would often tell lies to deceive their victims, yet the yokai's story seemed too far-fetched to be a simple made-up tale. But he didn't have the time to ponder about it.

Something furry and big suddenly hurled him further away, and he rolled on the rough surface with a complaining grunt. An unsettling feel lingered on his skin where the yokai had touched him, causing some nasty shivers to run down his spine.

"I will now attempt to awaken the properties of the dragon's power in you. Whether you die or not though, I will still devour you."

Having rolled onto his stomach, Natsume hopelessly struggled to bring himself to a more comfortable position. He could feel the pointy edges of the rocky floor rip holes at his shirt and scratch the raw skin of his hands. Suddenly, a huge, heavy paw was placed on his back, immobilizing him completely.

"Delicious. I can't wait to eat such fine flesh." Madoka mumbled as he sniffed his prey. Natsume sensed the warm whiffs next to his ear and turned his head the other way with reluctance. Whatever had been keeping his voice from being herd finally withdrew, but he didn't get the chance to say anything, as a revolting t liquid was forced down his throat. He tried to spit it out, but it was either swallow it and breathe or drown. Whatever it was, it made his insides burn, like poison.

After several seconds of agony, he was allowed to breathe again. Natsume was left coughing and gasping for air. His heart was racing wildly, and he felt ready to collapse, even though he was already lying on the ground. He could feel the poison on his skin, smeared across his face and wished he could wipe it away.

"Does my blood affect you in such an unpleasant way? Well, it was to be expected. After all, it harbors my hatred."

"Wh-Why… are you doing this?" Natsume managed to mumble. He surprised himself with the angry tone he had somehow pulled off despite his frightened consciousness.

"Your puny little human mind doesn't have to know of yokai affairs. And I'm not in the mood to tell you. But I hate you humans, and I hate you, Natsume, especially you. That is my reason."

The boy frowned. It was not fair to be treated like that for something he hadn't done. And even though he wished to find his right, at the moment he was more concerned about the burning sensation that had started to spread throughout every cell of his body. There was no doubt, it was that yokai's doing... A sea of nasty feelings began to emerge out of nowhere, and it was a sea Natsume could easily drown of. His body was violently rejecting Madoka's spirit.

"I wonder if the dragon's power will be enough to save you…" the yokai commented with playful malice. "Please hurry up, so that I can eat your eyes!"

Natsume winced as he felt the evil aura pierce his own spirit. He shook his head abruptly and squirmed under the ayakashi's paw, reacting to the pain he was experiencing. Drinking the blood of a yokai was something humans were not supposed to do, of that he was certain.

Was he… going to die? Somewhere desolated, where no one would ever find him, leaving people to wonder why he'd disappear, without anyone ever knowing how he'd die, alone and scared, without anyone actually caring. He had had such bad thoughts in the past. But now it was different. Now, there were people waiting for him. He couldn't afford to let them worry.

Touko-san, Shigeru-san… His friends, humans and ayakashi alike… Nyanko-sensei… If only his bodyguard was there with him. He would know what to do. That fat cat was awfully knowledgeable.

Out of the blue, the familiar presence of the fat ayakashi came to soothe him. Had he finally found him?

"Oh? The traitor is here already?" Madoka sounded rather serious and collected this time as he sniffed the air, probably wrinkling his nose with distaste.

Indeed, there was a change in the atmosphere. A warm, gentle breeze, carrying the familiar scent of sake that was surprisingly not annoying at the time, arrived to mess the boy's hay-blond hair. He remained silent for a moment, treasuring the tranquillity it caused upon him. Madoka's weight shifted impatiently, allowing Natsume to take that deep breath he desperately needed. "SENSEI!" he bellowed with all his might, before having his lungs and bones be squashed by the monster's paw again.

Silence.

"Yes. I hear you, Natsume." Nyanko's reassuring voice echoed with that deeper, confident tone that belonged to his white, prompt inugami form. "I expect to have half of your portion of lunch today. Do you know much time it took me to get here? More than a day!" he angrily demanded, yet he sounded serious and more focused on the immediate threat that Madoka was posing.

A day? It seemed the boy had been out of it for a long time. Natsume recognized the warm wave of power that followed, surely accompanied by a great flash of light caused by the red markings on Nyanko-sensei's forehead. The rope that had been binding him burned to ashes, along with the white cloth that had been covering his eyes.

"Madara. Fancy entrance as always. Traitors often like to enjoy a glorious act, huh?"

"The one who's caused trouble once again and has put up a play is you, Madoka. So who would be the traitor according to your standards?" Nyanko sneered.

Madoka retrieved his paw from Natsume's back, having shifted his attention to Madara. Natsume blinked to clear his vision as he struggled to stand up. Supported by his hands, he looked around to fully grasp the situation.

He was in a spacious cave, with stalagmites hanging from above and occasionally dripping cold water. Varying from dark grey to amethyst purple, the striped, cracked stones that made up the bumpy terrain gave off an unearthly glow. The place seemed to absorb any kind of light that managed to enter through the entrance of the cave, creating an ominous ambience.

At the entrance of the cave, with his white fur dazzling proudly, stood Nyanko-sensei, staring at the enemy opposite him… a huge inugami, probably bigger than Madara himself, with markings that bared a great resemblance to those of Nyanko on his forehead and snout. Madoka's ebony-black talons scarred the ground underneath him as his tail whipped the air and his gums rose to reveal a row of sharp teeth, ready to dig into flesh. Madoka's fur was a dark orange, almost brown, matching well with his scary, piercing crimson eyes that stared back at Madara with loath glinting on their sclera's surface.

"Cut the crap." Madoka barked. "You have no shame. I pity you."

Madara huffed with annoyance. "Our feelings are mutual. Now, I do not plan on engaging in meaningless quarrels, so return the boy and I might consider not ripping your guts apart." He threatened with a chilling calm expression.

"I would gladly return the leftovers, but I'm not sure there will be any." Madoka hissed mischievously.

In a flash, Madara hurled himself onto the auburn inugami at full speed, clawing away at any soft parts he could find. As they rolled to the side growling, several feet away from Natsume, throwing rocks away and breaking stalagmites at their wake, Madoka gave a bitter laughter and headbutted Nyanko with brute force, causing him to flinch and withdraw momentarily.

"You've grown weak, Madara!" Madoka blissfully noticed as he pinned down the dazed white inugami and bared his fangs.

"Natsume! Run!" Nyanko-sensei ordered before launching another attack.

But Natsume couldn't do much. He was unable to get up on his feet, as he was trembling uncontrollably, curled into a tiny ball to preserve any heat. His misty short breaths were not enough to heat his cold hands, which he had brought up close to his face. He had gone pale, and he was sweating a lot, appearing more ill and fragile than ever. How could it be that he was feeling cold when burning inside? He was not ok and he knew it. The shapes of the stalagmites and the two inugami that were fighting started to blend in, turning into confusing shadows.

"Hey! Natsume!" Madara repeated with concern, but then he was slapped hard by Madoka's heavy paw.

"Looking away from a fight? Just how much does he mean to you anyway?" he roared with disgust.

Madara howled with fury and sank his fangs into Madoka's left front leg that had been holding him down. "What have you done to him?"

The auburn inugami slashed Madara's sides with his talons, splashing blood on him and Nyanko's white fur. Madara's jaws reflexively flew open, and Madoka, released from them, decided to use his own teeth, tearing the white ayakashi's shoulder open as he smiled with madness.

Madara groaned as he tried to avoid the continuous bites directed at him. With one nimble duck and roll, sliding underneath the auburn inugami, he managed to get up on his feet again, this time behind his foe. A perfect chance to jump on his exposed back and do some fair damage.

Yet he didn't attack. As quickly as he could, completely disregarding his injured sides and muscles that sent waves of pain to him in protest to any movement, Nyanko-sensei jumped away, clumsily landing next to the heavily ill boy, who was still curled into a tiny, fragile ball, heavily ill.

Surprised by the sudden retreat, Madoka slowly turned around to look at them with glowing red eyes. "I can never understand you, Madara. How can you be around them? How can you care for them? How could you forgive them?"

"Unlike you... I'm not a beast. I am a formidable ayakashi who hasn't given up on its honour." Madara yelled accursedly and flashed his markings again, filling the cave with bright blue light.

Madoka scoffed. "A beast? They're the beasts! You traitor! How can you still use that wicked power she gave you, that damn bitch?"

"Shut up! You, out of everyone, have no right to talk about Reiko!"

"So you still kept your promise… even after her death. How pathetic. You could have given your life to save that woman, yet you didn't, and that's also pathetic. You're trying to run away now too. Just like you always do, traitor, whenever tragedy strikes, with your tail tucked between your legs, never sparing a glance to those you leave behind! How could you leave our brothers and sisters behind just like that?!"

"Shut up!" The white inugami released a war cry.

"It's your fault! You should have died with them!" Madoka shrieked.

"SHUT UP!" Madara's eyes widened and reflected a rage-filled neon red, but only for a mere second. His tail whipped the air and the sharp click of his snapping jaws echoed in the cave rather threateningly.

Amused, Madoka chuckled evilly. "What was that supposed to be? A display of power?" then his eyes narrowed ominously. "I'm going to eat him, you know, your precious Natsume." He said coldly.

"As if I am going to allow it."

"He's as good as dead, anyway. Have you not noticed already? I gave him the strongest poison there is to give a human."

Madara's yellow eyes widened. Slowly, he turned to look at the boy that lay next to him, looking worse than before, a fleeting life that he wanted so desperately to save. "You didn't…" he muttered as he spotted the red drops that were still on his face.

"This is my revenge!" Madoka smirked and his red eyes sparkled with distorted content.

"Why you…" this time, the light released by Madara's markings was brighter than ever, taking over every nook and cranny of the obscured cave, blinding the auburn inugami that helplessly rushed to shield its eyes from the painful, blinding light. "MADOKA! YOU ARE GOING TO PAY!" The ground itself started to shake violently from the immense power he was suddenly exhibiting. Dust started to fall from the ceiling of the cave, as the walls cracked. Nyanko-sensei gently put Natsume in his jaws and made a run for the exit. But…

"YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE!" Madoka launched himself onto them abruptly.

Madara roared as he felt Madoka's claws wound his face and snout, all the way to his neck. He felt Natsume slip away from his mouth, and panicked. One last time, he concentrated all the power he had left and released it into another wave of blue light. Madoka backed away and yelped, howling in pain because of the light that burned his eyes. "NO!"

But it was too late. When he recovered his blurry vision, the white inugami and the boy where gone…

"I guess I overestimated my powers… I just broke out of that seal, after all…" Madoka sat in silence, gazing at the dark night sky through the small entrance of the cave. The smell of wet soil lingered in the air. Was it going to rain? "I really wanted to eat him though… IWAHO!" he called harshly.

Obediently, a small figure came out of its hiding spot, a big stalagmite further inside in the cave. Iwaho, the yokai that had kidnapped Natsume, hurried to its master's feet with clumsy heavy steps that echoed strangely in the silent cave and raised little clouds of dust. "What is your wish, master?" Iwaho hesitantly asked as he hastily fell on his thick knees to bow with respect.

Towering over him already, Madoka leaned closer, until his crimson eyes were at the level of the small yokai's, staring at its trembling, scared form that wore nothing but torn, muddy rags, with his slit, greedy black pupils. "Go fetch the boy again. Don't come back without him. I'll give you two weeks. If you have not satisfied me until then, I am going to eat you instead."

.

.

Right after exiting the cave, Nyanko-sensei was quick to notice the blood that was dripping from the unconscious boy's body. His shirt was badly torn, revealing three deep gashes across his chest, caused by Madoka during that last attack. "Tch" Nyanko silently cursed and picked up his pace, soaring through the black clouds faster than ever. He himself was badly injured and exhausted.

In the east of the horizon, a hesitant yellowish glow was already spreading, dimmed by the thick clouds that covered the area. This marked the morning of a peaceful Sunday for the rest of the creatures that were just waking up from their slumber down in the quiet, misty foreign forest that Madara and Natsume were flying over. Home was still hours away, and Nyanko wasn't sure he was going to make it in time. He had no idea how to save a human who had drunk an ayakashi's blood. Hinoe or Misuzu weren't likely to know either. There were no others whom he trusted to be knowledgeable about such situations. Except from…

"Ubagabi!" he murmured, and reluctantly tasted Natsume's blood that was dripping from his own mouth now. He tried to ignore the taste. Madara had to land somewhere to put the boy on his back since carrying him in his mouth wasn't all that practical. Not yet though. Madoka could easily catch up to them. Maybe later.

Maybe later. He told that to himself for hours. The sun had disappeared behind the clouds that poured rain, and as he dispersed them with his passage he dampened his fur more every time. Raindrops had formed on his face, slowly sliding backwards by the pressure of the wind. Lonely thunders and sudden flashes of lightning occasionally reminded him of his reason for hurrying. He had lost track of time. All that was on the ayakashi's mind was to fly faster towards the direction of home, and for that, he concentrated on pushing himself to his limit.

The sun was already starting to set when Nyanko-sensei finally started to lose height. It was slow at first, and he didn't notice. He blinked to clear his blurry vision and gave a little yelp of surprise as a tree popped in front of his way seemingly out of nowhere. With a clumsy, last-minute reflexive manouveur, Nyanko avoided the tree and crashed on the ground, but with Natsume safely secured between his paws and held close to him.

They lay there, amid the broken branches and the messed up grass, without moving. Nyanko's muscles were stiff, refusing to obey him anymore. He sighed with exhaustion as he reverted back to his smaller maneki cat form with a puff of dust, unable to retain the other one any longer. "I can't do this anymore…" the fat cat complained as it lied down to get some rest.

"Who?"

"Who goes?"

"Who goes there?"

"Is it a human child?"

"Is it one of our kind?"

"Who goes?"

"Who goes there?"

Nyanko-sensei's white ears wiggled with irritation. He looked up at the branches of the tree he had almost fallen on grumpily. "None of your business, weaklings!" he barked at the frightened tiny yokai that had been glaring down at them from the protection the crusty yellow leaves provided. The tiny yokai scrambled away with faint, scared cries that resembled the annoying sound of a mosquito.

Nyanko scoffed with a proud smirk. "At least they're clever enough to recognize someone of power." He mumbled and gave a little yawn.

Madara glanced at Natsume speechlessly, with an unreadable expression. Natsume was not moving at all, but Nyanko could sense the boy's weak aura still cling onto his surroundings and on his own blood-stained fur. Slowly but surely, he staggered towards him with his short chubby legs to inspect his wounds. Carefully, he used his small paws to turn the unconscious boy to a supine position.

Natsume's clothes were thankfully not as drenched as he was, however, torn and muddy as they were, they offered poor protection against the cold that had started to sip deep in his bones, like the water of the rain that was thirstily being absorbed by the roots of the trees around them. Under his ripped shirt, still bleeding heavily, were the three deep cuts embedded onto his skin by Madoka's talons, destined to leave scars.

Nyanko had placed all of his hopes on a yokai to save the Yuujinchou's human owner from a deadly poison, but could only depend on humans to save another human from such heavy injuries.

' _You could have given your life to save that woman, yet you didn't, which is also pathetic!'_

Nyanko-sensei greeted his teeth angrily and his little claws dug into the wet soil beneath his soft paws as he remembered Madoka's words. He looked away from Natsume's pale, expressionless face. "How can I keep my promise to you now, Reiko?" he mumbled as he silently watched the thick drops of the rain pour down on the leaves and stones around them.

Suddenly, there was a loud crack of breaking wood, along with an eerie wave of worried whispers that came from the trees, whose leaves wiggled nervously at their dwellers' movements.

"Did you say Reiko?"

"Reiko?"

"Natsume Reiko?"

"Natsume Reiko-dono?"

Nyanko scowled. "Oh quit it with the gossiping!" he roared angrily at the poor tree, but the little voices continued nonetheless.

"Natsume Reiko-sama's servant!"

"He has a foul tongue!"

"Not as powerful as he looks!"

"He's ignorant, ignorant!"

Nyanko gasped. "How dare you! I can eat the lot of you within seconds!"

"Someone is approaching!"

"Someone is coming!"

"For Natsume Reiko-dono!"

"He's searching!"

"Coming! For Natsume-dono!"

"You have to hurry, hurry, hurry!"

Nyanko frowned with disbelief. He raised his little round head and sniffed the air. "Indeed…" he muttered rather reluctantly. "How careless of me not to notice." The cat's eyes pierced the forest at the direction of their pursuer with their strong gaze. Disregarding the clatter of the squirrels on the trees, the buzzing of bugs, the sound of the wind whirling between bushes and undergrowth, the drops of rain that splashed on the ground and wood, Nyanko-sensei's skilled ears caught another sound, one more unnatural and foreign that was unmistakably that of heavy, approaching footsteps.

"Well then, I'll have to make this quick." He said and turned to look at Natsume with fresh resolve. "After all, I have a promise to keep."

Madara leaned closer to the boy's flaming from fever forehead. His misty warm breath blew away any hair that was in the way as Nyanko placed his own head on it. "Cold" he muttered in complain and closed his eyes. As their foreheads touched, the cat's peculiar red markings lit up to a weak but unmistakable blue that glowed with energy. For a moment, Natsume's still characteristics twitched, showing signs of life. Then, as Nyanko-sensei lifted his head again, the glow faded and he took a step back with a sigh. "This is all I can do for now. Reiko should be grateful I went to such trouble to save her kin." His life force would be enough to keep the boy alive despite his wounds for a few more hours, but there was nothing he could do to deal with the poisonous blood he had drunk.

Then, with a large puff of white smoke, Nyanko-sensei changed back into his inugami form, ignoring all exhaustion, and took off with Natsume lying on his back, safely tucked between his shoulder blades.

"Get well soon, Natsume-dono!" the little ones from the tree whispered as they watched the great ayakashi fly away with confidence.

But it was not as simple to escape as Madara had thought.

Something big and green dashed into the clearing where the inugami and the boy lay earlier, causing the little yokai on the tree scream with fear and rush to safety. "He's here, he's here!"

Iwaho stared at the sky with a serious, sceptical expression, wondering how he would deal with the flying yokai he could not reach. He then turned to look at a nearby tree with a sudden idea. "Get off!' he warned coldly before seizing the tree by its trunk and pulling it out from the ground effortlessly. The little yokai cried in agony and hurried to jump to a neighbouring tree to save their lives, for the first time making their tiny naked grey forms visible, if only for a second, before they hid behind the leaves of their new home.

Ignoring the soil and rocks that fell on his head from the roots of the tree that now hang miserably from the base of the tree out in the open air, Iwaho released a cry and hurled the poor tree at the sky, targeting the white inugami. Unfortunately, Nyanko-sensei didn't notice it in time. He made an attempt to dodge, but the flying tree slammed onto him with force. In a rain of leaves, the tree and the inugami plunged back to the earth, like a white comet leaving behind a green trail of stardust.

.

.

"Madam, please calm down. We're doing our best to find him. We will inform you right away if something comes up."

"But…" Touko-san swallowed hard and wiped a tear that had escaped the corner of her eye. "Yes, I understand…" she then abruptly hung the phone and proceeded to pick up a handkerchief from the nearly empty box that lay next to the old telephone.

"…Thank you very much." Shigeru then appeared in the hallway with his cell phone in hand as he hung up too.

The couple looked at each other, their sparkling eyes reflecting their worry. Shigeru-san was the first to speak.

"They're trying. They really are." He reassured his wife as he placed his arms around her protectively.

Touko clang onto his shirt while her sobs subsided. "But, I don't understand it. I just don't. He wouldn't disappear like that for such a long time. It's already been two days!" She looked up at her husband's warm brown eyes. "I can't stand this…"

Shigeru-san closed his eyes and gently caressed her puffy red cheek. "We mustn't lose hope. That's all we have, right?" he tried to sound confident, but his own voice cracked at the end.

The sudden loud ringing of the phone interrupted them. Touko-san rushed to pick it up, nearly falling over as she stumbled on the counter the phone was placed on. With panic, she brought it to her ear, while her heart beat fast inside her chest, begging in agony for the caller to say that they had found him, that he was ok…

"Yes?" her face lost the excitement, and her shoulders drooped. "…No, nothing yet… No, that's not necessary… Thank you for the concern… Yes… Thank you very much… No, no need to apologize… Goodbye…"

Shigeru-san silently waited for her to put the phone down. "They're worried as well, his friends…"

She nodded and moved away from the phone, suddenly feeling sick just being near it, and grabbed her husband by the hand to lead him into the kitchen. "Let's eat something." She nervously suggested and took out the frying pan from under the counter.

"This is the fifth time you're cooking today." Shigeru noticed.

"You've read the same newspaper three times already." She retaliated with a weak smile.

.

.

"Dude! Look! A dead cat!"

The group of six young men that had rough features and wandered the empty streets at six o'clock in the morning, had decided to go to the river bank and drink the remaining beer of their beer cans after a crazy party that they hadn't really expected to last that long. The rain had stopped minutes ago, but they didn't seem discouraged by that at all.

"You're right! Hey, pass me a stick!"

"Where am I supposed to find a stick, idiot?"

"Whatever, I'll do it myself!"

The drunk man kneeled down and touched the cold body of the chubby cat without hesitation, poking it to see if it was really dead.

"Dude, what the hell?"

"You might get infected by something!"

Paying no heed, the young man grabbed the animal and stood up. His friends backed away immediately with disgust. He laughed and held out the cat in front of them mockingly. "Look! I'm a dead cat! Nyan!" he waved the cat around.

"Hey, cut it out!"

"Not funny!"

"If you don't put me down this instant, human, I am going to haunt your family for three generations!" Nyanko-sensei coldly threatened, having just regained his consciousness from all the jiggling he had received, and stared at the youth with angry black eyes.

Of course, the six drunk young men screamed and scrambled away without looking back, unfortunately forgetting their beers behind, and Nyanko-sensei was thrown back into the muddy water.

"Seriously… Humans these days…" Nyanko grumpily mumbled through his teeth as he watched them run away for their lives, still screaming. With a nimble hop, his feet touched the ground again. A strong shiver that travelled through his body sent most of the water away from his fur.

"Madara-sama?"

The fat cat abruptly turned around and came face to face with what seemed like a deformed head of a turtle. But as a fellow yokai, Nyanko-sensei was not at all startled by the Kapa whose head had barely emerged from the river, just enough so that it could speak clearly.

"So it is you." The Kapa's face lit up with delight. "Is Natsume-sama nearby? What would he be doing at such late hours, when it's the most dangerous for humans?"

"No, this time, I am not with him." Nyanko-sensei replied with an absent-minded stare. "It seems I fell into the river at that time and the current carried me here… Which probably means…" he trailed off, looking at the river blankly.

The Kapa titled its head with confusion, and a little bit of water fell out from the dish-like depression on top of its skull. "Is something wrong…?" The sudden glare that the fat cat shot at the other yokai made it want to dive back into the water again.

"I need you to help me find him. Natsume, that is. And fast."

"Me? But I don't do well on land… Madara-sama, could it be that he's in danger?" The Kapa innocently asked with concern.

"Yes he is, you idiot! Now go! Search the whole river if you have to!" the cat urged the yokai by pushing its scaly head with his paws.

"W-wait-but- ok, ok! I'm going! "

The Kapa disappeared into the water with a splash and swam away, using its webbed hands and feet to pedal as fast as it could through the murky river. Nyanko-sensei tried to revert to his original form but found himself unable to do so, exhausted as he was. With a lot of curses, he started to go by feet on his own search for Natsume, ignoring all the bad thoughts that were slowly building up inside him, like a bubble that could easily burst if he were to pay enough attention to it. But he would not give up yet and betray the Yuujinchou's owner.

.

.

Shigeru-san sprang up with wide eyes, startled by the telephone that was ringing in his ear all of a sudden. He had fallen asleep with the old phone in his hug. Next to him, Touko-san twitched in her sleep and the blanket that was covering the two of them fell on the floor. Their little camp on chairs brought by the kitchen next to the phone had proved its worth, as Shigeru-san automatically picked up the device to answer.

"Yes?... Yes, Fujiwara Shigeru here…"

Touko-san suddenly realized what was going on and her eyes shot open. She turned to look at her husband, who had the same messy bed-hair as her at the moment and gripped his hand.

"What?!" Shigeru-san glanced at her with a shocked expression and stood up. Touko stared at him with her heart racing and stood up too, not letting go of him yet. She mouthed questions at him, but he shook his head, distracted by the callers talking. "…What do you mean gone?... Gone where?" he angrily stomped the floor with his feet, which only added to his wife's anxiety. "… How bad was he?"

Touko-san's grip on his hand tightened and she covered her gaping mouth with dread. At last, Shigeru put the phone down with force and groaned as his hands slid over his face, a gesture that meant he was at his limit. He didn't even dare look at his wife who waited anxiously for a response. "They found him. By the river. But he's gone now."

"Gone? What do you mean gone? I-is he…"

"No! No…No, he's fine. He's injured, they said. But he's gone. They don't know where he is. He disappeared." Shigeru-san tried to explain what he himself nor the officer that had called could understand…

Meanwhile, the rookie police officer that had been tasked with calling the Fujiwaras and telling them the news sighed with a desperate far-off look, before handing the phone back to his superior, who sat next to him at the driver's seat. The police car was awfully silent for a moment.

"…Did I do good?"

"Yes, you said everything just as it should have been said." His superior reassured him. "…But I think you can understand what a big mess we're in right now. Falsely declaring somebody dead, and then letting a kid at such a bad state of health go missing… I bet the local newspapers won't hold back with their critique…"

"But exactly how did he go missing, sir?"

The officer sighed heavily. "What am I, a walking Wikipedia? Don't ask questions that can't be answered so simply. But if you do figure it out, tell me too! Let's just be glad that the kid is still alive and we still have a chance to bring him home safely... He couldn't have gone far with those wounds!"

* * *

Before I break my record of words used in a chapter, I will stop here. If you have any questions, don't hesitate!

So… how was it? Fast-paced? Lacking pictures and emotions? Boring? Actually decent? Tell me, I enjoy learning from my mistakes!

Next chapter will finally set us back to the correct order of time, where the prologue left you. By the way, I still can't remember what I wanted to say to the previous chapter… Why do I have to bear with such a short-termed memory?!

Anyway, that's it for now... See you in the next chapter, I'll be probably leaving one of my notes again!


	4. A Chicken's Hospitality

SORRY! I've been incredibly late this time!

I had so many things to do! School's tough. Trying to keep a balance between good grades, social life, free time and enough sleep is like trying to make a donkey sprout wings and become an aeroplane fueled by spaghetti. Impossible.

I've already made you wait enough, so here you go, chapter three, smallish and petty. I'm not very content with it, I won't judge you if you don't like it. I kept changing the plot every five seconds, so if you notice any discrepancies and the like, don't hesitate to point them out. Or any mistakes, I was in a bit of a hurry so...

* * *

"Once a human drinks blood of an ayakashi, they will have to face the consequences. Consider yourself lucky that this child is an owner of such power. "

The maneki cat eyed the yokai with an arrogant scowl. Ubagabi was a peculiar creature that could only appear on rainy nights by river banks as a ball of scorching fire with the face of an old woman in it. At other times, the only form she could take was that of a not so impressing chicken. So basically, Nyanko-sensei was just glaring at a small, brown chicken with messy half-plucked feathers and an overall scruffy appearance, too ridiculously innocent to be the owner of such a deep, eerie hoarse voice that Ubagabi possessed. But then again, Madara's current form was for laughs as well.

"Proof of the dragon's stigma is the child's silver hair. I bet the previous Natsume, that cocky brat called Reiko, became like this at her last moments, correct?"

Nyanko-sensei blinked, obviously surprised. "You… you know something about it, don't you?"

"I know just as much as I was told long, long ago by the first of the Natsume clan." The chicken said with a sophisticated look, stretching its neck proudly. "That human was the one to receive the eyes directly, so naturally he had the silver hair from the moment he gained that power. With the passage of time however, the power of the dragon fell into a deep slumber in the generations, only to awake at the direst of moments for each host."

Nyanko-sensei turned to look at Natsume, who was lying still at the corner of the little, narrow cave they were in, on top of a patch of dry yellowish grass, placed there as a makeshift bed. His breathing was shallow and rare, barely audible. Even Nyanko's ears couldn't detect the comforting rhythmical beating of a human heart coming from there. Only once in a while, after more than ten seconds of anxious waiting, he would pick up a faint but definite beat, reassuring him that Natsume was still there, that he would wake up eventually.

"Ubagabi. I wish to learn more about the origin of this power you speak of." The cat announced sternly, making direct eye contact with the chicken. "I only knew that it stemmed from dragon eyes. I do not know how this came to be though."

"I had no hopes that the human child could be saved." The chicken suddenly admitted and jiggled its wings and feathers as it scratched its scaly leg with its beak, looking rather uninterested. "Now that he is out of the woods though, I trust he will come to learn that it was my offering of knowledge that saved him. Shall we trade?" It added with indifference, though Madara noticed the strain put on its hilariously sinister voice.

The cat narrowed its eyes. "You're a cunning old hag, you know that? Whatever, you'll get your reward. He's such an idiot that he'll give you your name back right away. But it is a rather bold request. You are aware that I could have simply threatened you in order to force you to share your knowledge with me."

"Fortunately, I also know that you are not the kind that does that anymore, Madara. You've grown soft." Ubagabi retorted with a little creepy chuckle. "This human child seems to have an even bigger effect on you than Reiko did."

"Oh shut up, will you?" Nyanko-sensei furiously meowed, waving his little paw up and down with his tiny claws slashing the air "I could still tear you to shreds if I wanted to! You're getting on my nerves!"

The chicken and the cat suddenly fell silent. The cat's muscles stiffened as he clearly heard the sound of crackling dry grass, quickly realizing that Natsume was stirring, regaining his consciousness.

"Ah, he's wakin-" the chicken tried to say, but was cut off by a loud, agonizing cry.

"SENSEI!" Natsume bellowed with despair, suddenly opening his eyes. In the daze he was in, he recognized the rocky walls that surrounded him as the cave he had been trapped in by Madoka, giving off the same sense of closure he hated. Feeling the need to get out of an invisible cage, he sprang up clumsily, nearly losing his balance, and trudged towards the light that he made out with his blurry vision to be that of the exit. But on the way, he stumbled and fell face flat on the ground.

"IDIOT!" Nyanko-sensei shouted as he hurried over to his side.

Dizzy and confused, Natsume squinted and looked up to see the maneki cat blocking the light with his fluffy, round, fat body. Slowly, the realization sank in; he was safe. They were no longer in danger. "Sensei… what… where-" He winced, suddenly feeling a painful, burning sensation coming from his chest.

"We're in an acquaintance's home, that's where we are! Stop scaring the whiskers out of me! Wasn't one time enough?" Nyanko scolded him as he tried to help him up. The boy weakly made an attempt to stand but found himself in pain again. Nonetheless, he did his best to ignore the painful process walking had become, and sighed with gratitude once he found himself lying on the soft mattress of dry grass again. Every breath he'd take would bring forth excruciating pain, but the feeling gradually subsided as he calmed down and his muscles relaxed.

"Seriously… you have to be baby-sitted every second of the day!" Nyanko-sensei whined.

Natsume smiled weakly. "What exactly happened?" he questioned as he looked around with curiosity.

Indeed, the cave they were in was quite different. It was smaller and more humid, but strangely cosy, with lighter brown colours and a refreshing ambience. Plus, the exit was actually blocked by sparkling water that came pouring from above and disappeared below, probably the result of a waterfall that provided perfect cover and protection from the outside world for those inside the little cave. But what captured Natsume's attention, was the only other life form beside him and his bodyguard in the cave that was actually a small brown chicken which was casually pecking the ground by his side, nearly two feet away. Now, he was no amateur when it came to seeing weird things, but a chicken was definitely not something he would have expected.

"And why is there a chicken staring at us?"

"This is Ubagabi. She agreed to help save you and offer us shelter for now."

Natsume's view of the chicken changed completely in mere seconds. "A yokai, huh? I see…" he murmured with embarrassment.

"You were on death's door when Madara brought you here" Ubagabi spoke up (Natsume would have laughed whole-heartedly upon hearing the ridiculously deep voice coming from the innocent chicken, had it not been for his wounds) "Yet you have survived, thanks to a tremendous amount of luck."

"…Her medicines helped nullify the bad blood that was in your system." Nyanko-sensei reluctantly explained, shooting the chicken cold glares. "So you kinda owe her now. Her name just so happens to be in the Yuujinchou. If you give it back, she should be satisfied."

"You, suggesting that a name is returned, is unheard of, Sensei…" Natsume mumbled and closed his eyes with an exhausted sigh. "… I guess that means the situation was truly awful…" he turned to look at Ubagabi with a new level of respect for the chicken. "Thank you. I will be sure to return your name, or help you out with anything if you have any problems." He stated, looking at the yokai with piercing honesty.

The chicken titled its head with curiosity, staring back intensely. "Glowing emerald…"

"Eh?"

"You're a strange one. What is your full name?"

"Natsume Takashi…" he answered with partial confusion.

"Takashi, then. I ought to tell you that I am fascinated by your eyes. They're glowing emerald, just like a dragon's."

Nyanko-sensei's fur dazzled in panic and immediately he started hopping around and messing up Natsume's makeshift bed. "Make room for me! Hey now, I want to sleep too! It's cold in here! You're pretty comfortable over there, give me some warmth!"

"Ouch! What's gotten into you? You're snuggly all of a sudden!" Natsume complained as he tried to shoo away the big fat cat that was inconsiderately causing him pain from all the sudden nudges.

"Manjuus! I want manjuus, I tell you!"

"Hey!"

"A ton of them!"

"He will find out eventually, Madara." Ubagabi chirped. "It's pointless to stall it."

"Find out what exactly? Stupid Nyanko, you're trying to change the subject, aren't y-" Natsume frowned, feeling a stinging pain from his wounds. Instinctively, he clutched his chest, trying to get rid of whatever was there that made him suffer. Nyanko-sensei immediately backed away with a worried look of seriousness.

"Natsume!"

Hot and warm. Natsume withdrew his hand reflexively and brought it in front of him, staring at his trembling, blood-covered palm with dread. "Blood?" he whispered.

"Don't move!" Nyanko-sensei commanded, suddenly putting his gigantic furry head on the boy's forehead.

"What are you-"

The gentle blue glow flared from the cat's peculiar red markings right away. For some reason, the calm ambience overtook Natsume's consciousness. He stared blankly at the dark brown ceiling of the cave as the pain gradually subsided, feeling more tranquil than ever. It was as if he was being refilled with energy after a long, satisfying sleep. The soothing smell of spring, flowers and honey, ruled over his mind for a few seconds, along with the mouthwatering taste of Touko-san's special fried sea-mix combo, a delicacy he had rarely tasted on anniversaries or other festive occasions. It was a wonder how smell and taste so contradictory managed to go that well together.

At last, the fat maneki cat opened its eyes and glared at him with concern. "You were badly injured by Madoka. So badly in fact, that I constantly have to use my life force to keep you alive!"

"Life force?" he repeated with knitted brows.

"It's no big deal for someone as brilliant as me. It will not have any effect on me whatsoever, other than temporary exhaustion!" Nyanko scoffed with a proud smirk. "So don't get in trouble while I'm like this!"

"Nyanko-sensei! This sounds really important! Why would you do such a thing, if it causes you harm?" Natsume angrily scolded him, his fists clenched and expression sinister.

"You were right, Madara. The boy truly is an idiot…" Ubagabi commented, her sudden interference reminding them of her presence.

"Hmph! He doesn't get anything! What a wimp! I always have to explain everything to him and save him because he wanders around recklessly." Nyanko ranted and turned his back at him with a hiss.

Natsume clicked his tongue and looked away, falling silent. He was angry. Boiling with anger.

"What did Madoka tell you?"

"I'm not sure." He coldly responded, keeping his eyes fixated on the waterfall in front of him.

"Don't be stubborn."

"He mentioned a couple of things. Something about a curse. And my eyes…"

Natsume stared at the glimmering waterfall, where so many colours danced prettily like colourful ribbons… The reflections of the feline and the fowl were fuzzy, two large dots of white and brown in the background. But then he spotted another foreign reflection, belonging to a frightened, ill-looking, frail boy in muddy, torn clothes, with the same shocked expression as his, but unnaturally white hair, like snow, and eyes of a dark, mysterious and powerful green that sparkled. The worst part was that those frightened eyes, with their slit, cat-like pupils, eerily non-human, stared back at him with the exact same fear.

.

.

' _As many of you might have heard, Natsume Takashi, a student at our school, has gone missing. He was found this morning by the authorities, but he disappeared shortly after. If any of you have information that can be shared with the police regarding his whereabouts…"_

The speech the teacher had given still echoed in Tanuma's ears. He kept staring at the pavement while he walked, not really paying attention to his surroundings. It was cold, really cold, but instead of taking out his gloves from his school bag, he welcomed the shivering sensation.

The rain had stopped hours ago, and now, the remaining fog had lifted, giving way to sunlight. But the bright, lively colours were detested at the moment, since they didn't match the heavy hearts of the three boys, Kitamoto, Nishimura and Tanuma, who were silently striding together on their way home.

The local newspapers had bombarded the streets from the morning, filling stores and trash cans, even spread all over town by the wind and lying on the wet roads and sidewalks, or tangled on branches of trees, or even hidden underneath crusts of fallen leaves. And Natsume's face was on each one of them, under the title that was printed with big, bold letters 'Mistaken for dead? Local police messes up!' Of course, the streets had been flooded by police cars and passing officers, asking around in hopes of finding any leads.

"Oh. We're already here…" Kitamoto suddenly mumbled, and his friends stopped walking with surprise.

Tanuma looked around with confusion for a few seconds until he remembered that he would have to part with the other two and head to another direction in order to reach the temple that had been his precious home for some considerable time. Now… he felt like every step he'd take towards his house would make it harder for him to pull his feet from the ground.

"Ah… well… see you tomorrow…" Tanuma forced a nervous, faint grin.

"Yes…"

"Take care…" Nishimura patted his shoulder.

And without other words, they parted.

The gloominess was unbearable. Tanuma greeted his teeth with frustration and started running, not caring about the danger of accidentally slipping on the mud. The shadows of the trees got intertwined with the sparkling sunlight as he ran under and past them, leaving behind a trail of misty warm breaths.

He barged into his house hurriedly, panting heavily and with red cheeks, and literally threw his shoes in a corner along with his coat and school bag, not caring for manners anymore. After all, his dad wouldn't be home for an hour to scold him. He ignored the irritation that his clothes caused him, as they stuck on his sweaty skin, and ran up to the phone. He took out a crumpled slip of paper he had safely kept in his white shirt's pocket and called the number written neatly on it. The four beeps that followed seemed to last over, and he couldn't help but tap his fingers on the wall he was tiredly leaning on, while he desperately waited for someone to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Taki!" he called with relief and a smile popped on his face. "It's me, Tanuma!"

"I thought you'd never call!" the young female voice admitted with the same relief.

"Sorry I was late. It takes quite a while to reach my house from school, you see…" he quickly explained.

"Ah, that's right…"

An awkward second of silence…

"So… did you check to see if you have anything we may need?" Tanuma asked, his heart beating rather nervously.

"Yes… Say, do you think we might need torches? I've got a couple spare ones….. Should I bring them along?"

"I don't think we're going to stay in the forest that late. Why not though? You never know." He agreed with a shrug.

"Listen" Taki's voice suddenly hardened "Do you think we should get Kitamoto and Nishimura to help too? Perhaps even Sasada… They're his friends too…"

Tanuma frowned, finding himself in a difficult position. "And how will we explain what we're doing to them? We're the only ones that know about the yokai. If he was indeed taken by one of them…. We can only ask for help by the ones that live nearby. Natsume said they're not dangerous. But how do you think Nishimura and the others would react if they saw… well, whatever we're going to see?" He trailed off. "Besides, knowing Natsume, he would be furious if more than two of his friends got involved in this story."

Taki's breathing was the only answer for several moments. "…You're right. But, Tanuma, if we don't find anything by ourselves… we will tell them tomorrow. No matter what." She stated strictly.

"I'm ok with that." Tanuma reluctantly gave in.

"Ok. Guess I'll see you in a few minutes…"

"Thanks for doing this, Taki."

"Hey, you're the one who came up with the idea, so I should be thanking you, Tanuma."

He tried to wipe the silly smirk off his face. "Be careful on your way."

"You too."

Beep, beep, beep….

Tanuma put the phone down with a sigh of unease and turned around to leave.

The plan they had thought of during break at school was pretty simple. The two of them were going to search the forest and use Taki's circles to ask the yokai for help. It was their only choice, considering the fact that Ponta, or Nyan-nyan-sensei or whatever, was nowhere to be found either. The fat maneki cat would often boast about its power, and Tanuma had a feeling he could really trust the yokai to safeguard Natsume, who seemed to get into trouble quite often for one with such a quiet, peaceful nature. So if it had gone missing as well, it probably meant this was another yokai problem.

' _What if this time, the monsters that are after him, are not from the forest? What if they are none other than humans?'_

' _He can deal with dangerous yokai… But can he deal with dangerous people as well?'_

Tanuma shook his head to get rid of the bad thoughts. Whatever the case, he did not want to lose hope.

The tall, slim boy decided to hurry over to his room to change into more athletic clothes so that he could move around more freely, and in any case, not catch a cold from his sweaty ones. Perhaps he'd grab a backpack with some necessary supplies as well…

.

.

"All I can tell you for now, kid, is that the first Natsume whom I had the privilege to meet, acquired these eyes that you have inherited- " the chicken used its sharp middle claw to point at Natsume with its shabby old leg "- from a pair of twin dragons. Of course, they didn't give him each one eye just like that. What the dragons asked for compensation is unknown." Ubagabi titled her head, once again studying the boy with fascination.

The chicken's explanation ended rather abruptly, not really giving them any vital information, and Natsume was left with a feeling of emptiness, fidgeting nervously under the chicken's constant glare. He had been staring at his reflection on the waterfall for several minutes, still unable to get used to his new appearance. So the eyes that allowed him to view the more mystical aspect of the world, used to belong to a dragon…Those same emerald eyes that seemed so freaky and weird as they glared back. It was so hard to wrap his head around.

"Is there a way to reverse this?"

"Reverse?" Nyanko-sensei mumbled sleepily and raised his fat furry head to look at him. The cat had been ready to fall soundly asleep on Natsume's warm lap, and it would certainly have done so were it not for his bodyguard duties.

"I can't go back looking like this… What will Touko-san and Shigeru-san think?" He said with a bitter chuckle that was too unlike him and slid his hand over his cheek with an extremely pathetic expression.

The chicken's top half moved as if it was shrugging with its wings. "I only met the first Natsume and Reiko, your grandmother. I have no knowledge of ways to make you seem more human."

"…more human…" he repeated.

Nyanko-sensei suddenly hopped off Natsume's legs and landed on the floor of the cave clumsily. "This old hag said she doesn't know. She never said there isn't a way. So stop sulking!" he sneered at the chicken angrily and then turned to the sorrowful boy. "Natsume! I expect my portion of dinner, lunch and breakfast to be doubled from now on!" he demanded.

"Sensei?" Natsume watched with confusion as the cat transformed back into his white inugami form (which was hardly able to fit in the small, narrow cave for your information). "Ah, Nyanko-sensei, you're hurt!" he then noticed several wounds on the great ayakashi's body, which had not been on the maneki cat's body previously. Or had they been there from the beginning, shrunk in size enough that he wouldn't notice?

"Hey, Ubagabi." He called in his deep voice, ignoring the boy. "If you don't tell me where the twin dragons are, I am really going to eat you."

The chicken didn't bat an eyelash. "What makes you think I know where they dwell?"

"A hunch. Now speak up, you cunning old hag!"

Ubagabi sighed in defeat. "I can tell you really mean it this time. You're softer than I thought, Madara."

He growled threateningly, his yellow eyes gazing at the tiny chicken with cold resolve.

"Fly to the east, beyond the mountain that humans cannot reach, before the seas. Search for any old ayakashi, they shall be able to lead you to the dragons' lake. This is crazy, by the way. The dragons are different from us. They won't hesitate to kill you, a creature of the darkness." She warned.

"Stay here, Natsume. You have to heal." The huge ayakashi told him, without turning to look at him.

"Wait, Nyanko-sensei! Where are you going?" Natsume cried and stood up, disregarding the pain that his wounds gave him as a complaint, but it was too late. The white inugami passed through the waterfall, splashing water all over the cave before disappearing behind the mystical curtain of water, probably leaping into the skies outside.

Natsume turned to look at the chicken with worry. "Where is he going?"

"Why, to ask the dragons directly. Madara really has a soft spot for you, child."

"What? Then he…"

"Yes, I mean that he wants to help fulfil your wish. He's going to ask them for a way to seal away that awakened power of yours. If you understand, then please lie down again and wait for his return."

Normally, he would have listened to the chicken. Normally, he would have calmly thought things over. Normally, he would never have done what he did next.

Overcome by frustrating emotions, he ran through the waterfall, not minding the absurdly cold water that immediately drenched him and his clothes, and stepped out in the red light of dusk that marked the end of another Monday.

"Takashi! Come back, ignorant child! Natsume Takashi!"

Ubagabi's shrieks were muffled by the loud bubbling sound of the waterfall that crashed on the rounded, smooth rocks below. Before the chicken could follow, he waded through the shallow pond that had formed below the waterfall, thankful that he had no shoes on, while looking around. The place seemed familiar. In fact, he had passed by the little waterfall a couple of times before, unaware of the cave hidden behind it and its dweller. It was deep into the forest, but he knew the way. Home was not that far away.

Running as fast as his wounds would allow him to, he made his way through the tall trees that he had come to know after spending so much time with the yokai that inhabited the forest, following the small stream that stemmed from the little pond that lead directly to the larger river of his hometown. He could sense some of the ayakashi, hidden behind bushes and rocks, watching as he swiftly avoided vines and roots that he could easily have tripped over. However, they remained strangely silent instead of bombarding him with questions or announcing his arrival in awe as they usually did.

' _What am I going to say about my appearance?'_

Whatever. He would figure that out later. He had to make sure everyone was alright, that Madoka hadn't decided to hurt those close to him.

' _How am I going to explain these injuries?'_

But he had to see them…

' _What am I doing?'_

Before long, he had stopped running. Standing still among the different trees and bushes, he lowered his stare to the ground. The only sound that accompanied him was the rustling leaves as the wind brushed through them gently.

Natsume raised his hand and pulled out a single hair to look at it. With disappointment, he saw it glisten in the remaining light of the setting sun, an unnatural white that he whole-heartedly wished to turn back to that hay-blond colour he was used to having during his life. He closed his eyes, letting himself enjoy the soothing sounds of nature. He had to relax in order to think clearly again. As much as it pained him, he couldn't go home just yet. Not in that condition.

And then…

"Please! Tell us what happened to Natsume if you know!"

"We are his friends!"

Natsume's eyes widened in shock. He recognized those two voices immediately to belong to Tanuma and Taki. And they were heading his way.

"Please step in this circle so that we will be able to see and hear you!"

"Is anyone there?"

"We're Natsume's friends! Do you know what happened to him, or where he is?"

"Please tell us! We mean no harm!"

Natsume almost answered 'I'm here'. Almost. But he covered his mouth with his hands and slowly took a few steps back, trying not to make a sound, not even breathe.

There. He saw the short, brownish-blond-haired girl flash her torchlight around just a few feet away, obviously exhausted as she leaned on a tree tiredly. Her face had been scraped, probably from a thorny bush, and she was dressed heavily to protect herself from the raging cold. Behind her, not quite visible behind the trees, was Tanuma, occupied by drawing Taki's weird circle designs on the muddy forest floor with a long stick, trying to copy the pattern he saw on Taki's notes which she had handed over.

Just as Natsume prepared himself to turn around one hundred and eighty degrees and flee, he felt and heard something crack under his foot, a branch or something that happened to be so inconveniently misplaced, like in the movie clichés Nishimura and Kitamoto often talked about. Unfortunately, Taki had heard it too.

Startled, she turned towards his direction and the light of her torchlight blinded his eyes. He tried to shield them with his arms and his back touched the moss-covered trunk of a tree as he backed away, realizing that he had been caught red-handed and had been backed into a corner. His eyes remained tightly shut as he waited with dread to hear something, anything from his friend, a scream, a cry, an exclamation…

There was nothing. Hesitantly, he glanced at her, worried that the shock had perhaps been too much for her.

Taki simply gazed towards him but… not at him specifically. Her eyes had an empty look, and true, she looked startled, but not too surprised in particular. Not once did they make eye contact.

"If you're there, please stand in the circle! We really need help!" she pleaded, her eyes hopefully fixated at thin air beside him.

And that's when the horrible truth sank in. She couldn't see him.

It was a terrifying feeling of emptiness that drowned him. A nasty tingling sensation climbed up his spine to the base of his neck, sipping into the marrow of his bones, crawling underneath his skin, paralyzing him completely. Natsume felt misplaced just like the twig he had stepped on. Taki couldn't see him. For her, he wasn't there. He didn't exist. It felt as if his entire being could have shattered at the moment; scatter around in a cloud of dust, only to be erased by the wind.

In an attempt to hold in the knot that was starting to form in his throat, Natsume rushed to hide behind some bushes, abruptly falling on them without regarding his injuries at all. At least now that he was hiding, he was the one preventing her from seeing him, right? On his own accord… Natsume tried to believe it, he really did, but it only seemed to force his eyes to sting as the waterworks began.

"Tanuma, I think I heard something from around here!" she pointed at the general direction from which she had heard the snapping sound.

"Where?" the boy immediately let the stick fall to the ground and came to stand by her side.

He squinted with difficulty, observing the spot, while his hand nervously played with some lucky charm beads he had brought with him for at least the idea of protection.

"Is anything there?" Taki asked, unconsciously having grabbed Tanuma's sleeve.

Natsume dashed out of his hiding spot, unable to stop himself from crying anymore, and scrambled away further into the woods. Tanuma gasped with surprise, since, unlike Taki, he could clearly see the figure of a scrawny white-haired boy running away from them.

"Must be a yokai! Follow me!" the blue-eyed boy shouted and ran after him.

"Tanuma, wait!' Taki called.

He was very confused and interested in the white-haired person. Rarely had he ever seen a yokai that clearly. He was used to mere shadows and eerie presences. But this humanoid yokai had no presence, and it definitely had solid form in front of his eyes.

"Please hold on! I don't mean any harm!" he yelled desperately. "My friend has gone missing, perhaps you know him! His name is-"

Tanuma stumbled on some rocks and experienced a rough fall backwards. He felt every bone and muscle shake violently as he made connection with the earth, and he instinctively used his arms to shield his head and neck.

"Tanuma!"

Wincing and groaning, he crawled back on his fours and waited for his ears to stop buzzing before any attempts of standing up.

"What were you thinking?" A concerned Taki arrived by his side a few seconds later and kneeled down to check on him with eyes that burned with anger. As she pulled him up and helped him regain his balance, he looked at his hands, having felt something warm and wet when he had touched the ground.

"Blood…" he mumbled, staring at his crimson-dyed fingers. He then looked around and found the bloody trail on the rusty-green and yellowish leaves, disappearing deeper into the forest.

"Blood? Where? Are you hurt?" Taki gasped as she searched him for injuries.

Tanuma shook his head negatively and pointed towards the direction that the mysterious white-haired boy had run off to. "Not mine. That yokai's."

" _You're… Natsume's friends, aren't you?"_

The two teenagers froze suddenly, having heard that soft, female voice.

" _It's dangerous for humans to wander these parts at night. Go home."_

By the time they had turned around to identify the source of that lovely calm voice, the friendly presence Tanuma had sensed for those few seconds was gone. Taki glanced at the crumbled muddy sheet that Tanuma had dropped when he fell. The circle she had drawn on it was empty again.

A sinister figure stood further away, blended in with the thin, tall trees whose branches swirled and curled into a perplexed carpet of leaves far above the ground. A black sleeve and a pale, fragile arm hugging the tree's trunk, the white, oval shape of a cracked mask with one big eye at the middle and a warm, bitter grin with two horns on top… Hiiragi watched silently from afar. Her interest had been aroused by the weird design of the circle drawn on that sheet of paper. She had to discuss with her master about such a shady technique. But for now, she chose to focus on the mission at hand. And she had set her sights on that white-haired humanoid yokai that had behaved so suspiciously.

* * *

Lucky you, the next chapter has already been updated! Off you go then!


	5. Fixing Things

Did I mention how sorry I am for having you wait? I probably did on the last chapter, but I'll say it again; sorry.

Please forgive any mistakes, I was in a bit of a hurry.

Also, a big, Big THANK YOU! To everyone who reviewed, you really made my day! THANKS! :) You're all the motivation I need to get my butt in front of my computer and hit the keyboard!

Anyhow, enjoy!

* * *

Natsume collapsed on the forest floor, falling on twigs and rocks that irritated his skin and did nothing good for his wounds that had reopened. Vibrant red dripped all around, forming new cloth stains on his muddy shirt and trousers that had been previously, vainly washed clean by the pond.

This was really getting old. He forced himself to stand up again, wiping off the crumbles and pieces of mud and wood that had stuck on him. He took a deep breath. Nyanko-sensei's life force hadn't been used up completely, he realized, since the bleeding was already starting to subside. Honestly, he had been so reckless, running around in that condition…

He felt unease because his actions were not like him. He had been rude to Ubagabi, had run away from his own friends, and in addition, he had completely disregarded Nyanko-sensei's wish for him to remain in the cave and heal.

Natsume continued his slow trudge towards the little waterfall. The wind started moaning around him, blowing much faster than usual. He could already tell that something was approaching…

A big, bright fireball soared through the trees, charring the edges of any leaves that happened to be airborne. With a low grumble, the ball of fire came to a stop right in front of a surprised Natsume, who observed the wrinkly, dark grey face of an old woman with menacing eyes that literally burned like two flaming coals, floating in the middle of the great fire that spread its heat, seemingly melting the air itself around it.

"Fret not, Takashi. I am Ubagabi, the one who sheltered you." The yokai spoke with the same hoarse voice that used to belong to that innocent little chicken Natsume had met back at the cave. Even its mouth revealed its fiery insides whenever it opened, without tongue or teeth to form consonants or vowels.

"The chicken?"

"Yes, the chicken," Ubagabi replied, flicking her long, pitch black eyelashes with annoyance.

Natsume's jaw dropped with shame and he hurried to cover it with his hands, realizing that he had been unintentionally rude. "Ah, excuse me…"

"No hard feelings. Now, are you ready to go back, kid? It is time for you to take some more medicine. The effects of Madoka's blood might have disappeared, but I would prefer to be safe with my work."

Natsume lowered his gaze in defeat, finally unclenching his fists. How long had he been holding on to them? His fingernails had dug into his skin… "Sorry for the trouble Sensei and I have caused you." He said with a faint trace of a smile and looked up again at those scorching eyes, without an ounce of fear or disgust.

Taken aback by the emerald stare of honesty, Ubagabi scowled. She was happy to know that her demand for her name would most likely be considered after such an open expression of gratitude, but another thought disturbed her. "I am doing this for my own good. Don't misunderstand, child." She stated coldly.

"Still, I want to thank you for everything you have done. I'll be sure to return the favour." Natsume bowed his head slightly with respect since he was unable to bow completely due to his injuries.

The yokai felt awkward all of a sudden. "You're strange, just like the first Natsume." She admitted. "I can see why Madara took a liking to you. You're bound to get into trouble with that attitude."

Quietly, the yokai and the boy started to walk –or float, for the latter- back to the waterfall, under the light of the moon that shone brightly through the trees, for the first night after that storm, happy to spread its silver beams on the surface of the earth. Creatures and critters of the night were already on their shifts, patrolling the woods to investigate the changes that occurred during the day by their non-nocturnal counterparts. Similarly, big or small, colourful and exotic, the ayakashi started to make more of a hustle. And even more of them seemed to be attracted by the white-haired boy that was escorted by Ubagabi.

Of course, Natsume took notice of the gossips that had started to spread as whispers from tree to tree and from bush to bush.

' _Who is that? I haven't seen him around.'_

' _To be accompanied by such a great, old ayakashi as Ubagabi herself…'_

' _His smell is strangely familiar too.'_

' _But his appearance is different.'_

' _A human or a yokai?'_

' _A yokai, a yokai… Humans don't look like that!'_

' _But his smell…'_

So they didn't recognize him, huh… Natsume felt even more empty than before, almost devoid of emotions. "May I ask you something, Ubagabi?" he suddenly came to a halt once they reached the clearing with the pond and the little waterfall that sparkled just as beautifully under the moonlight.

She turned to look at him with curiosity, waiting for the question.

"Exactly… what am I, right now?"

"Human of course." She replied all too quickly. "Your spiritual energy has mixed with the dragons' right now. So you're physically more on the ayakashi side. But your soul is that of a human's. You will die what you were born. Don't be confused." Ubagabi explained flatly.

She had spoken with certainty, and that had immediate effects on Natsume, who smiled blissfully. "Well, that's a relief. For a moment, I was worried…" he chuckled nervously before turning towards the trees, where countless of yokai had gathered to watch him. "Even though my appearance has changed, I'm still me! Natsume Takashi! Reiko's Grandson!" he announced boldly, which resulted in a sea of confused and surprised whispers and exclamations.

"Natsume-sama!"

"It's Natsume-dono! I told you he looked familiar!"

Two bulky creatures stepped out of the shadows, one short and one tall, but both significantly taller than Natsume himself. The boy's face lit up with joy as he approached the two yokai he knew all too well. "Chuukyu!" he greeted with one of his rare, pure smiles.

"We were so worried, Natsume-sama!"

"So worried, indeed!"

"We heard from Kapa that you were not well!"

"We heard, we heard!"

The two ayakashi seemed very relieved. Natsume kept smiling at them, not wishing to interrupt their worried ranting. "I'm sorry to have made you worry so much." He simply said when they finished.

"So it really is you, Natsume"

Natsume's emerald eyes widened as he turned around abruptly, silver hair synchronizing with his movements and arms reflexively assuming a protective position closer to his body. The tall, thin yokai in traditional clothing that stood before him was none other than Hiiragi, probably staring back at him behind that mysterious white mask that concealed her expressions, much to his irritation. As usually, her presence had been skillfully masked until the last moment, successfully surprising him more than he could handle.

"Hiiragi!" Natsume exclaimed, trying to hide his frustration. Then, slowly, his mind made the connection and his expression stiffened. "Is Natori-san around as well?" he demanded to know, already flooded by concerns.

She nodded silently. "My master has been searching for you. He should arrive soon. He was very worried after hearing about your disappearance. And apparently, he was right to be." She added with a discreet tilt of her head.

He grinned sheepishly. "I-uh.. I'm ok now. I don't suppose you could find him and tell him not to look for me-"

"Not a chance"

"But I'm really-"

"-You're wounded." She commented blankly.

"Well, that's-"

"Is this ayakashi troubling you, Takashi?" Ubagabi suddenly dashed between them, preventing Hiiragi from coming any closer with the oppressive heat. "I can tell by her scent. She's sold her loyalty to an exorcist."

"No, Hiiragi is… both she and Natori-san are my friends." Natsume hurried to defend her.

She withdrew right away, hovering in the air a bit as if she was bowing apologetically. "You have to be careful of who you consider an ally."

"That's ironic." Hiiragi coldly remarked.

Sensing the intensity, Natsume nervously raised his arms as if to place an invisible wall between the two yokai that seemed to have entered a staring contest. "Look, I'm perfectly fine, alright? Hiiragi, please return to Natori-san. I wouldn't wish for there to be a dispute…" he pleaded desperately.

She flicked her wrist dismissively. "If more than anything, I believe my master has the right to get involved in this. Since you are disregarding yourself, someone has to take care of you. In this case, someone who knows how to deal with these particular troubles." Hiiragi's mask kept facing Ubagabi all the time, implying quite clearly that the fire yokai was one of those 'troubles'. "Come to think of it, Natsume. Where is that lazy pig-cat?"

"Ah, Nyanko-sensei is… well…" he sighed in defeat. "I have no idea. But there's a good reason for his absence… "

Even though Hiiragi's face was hidden behind that one-eyed mask, he was sure she had raised an eyebrow.

Suddenly, something small and yellowish flew into Natsume's face. He sprung in surprise and tried to get whatever it was off of his face, but it had stuck on his skin completely. There was a flash of light and Natsume felt everything around him heat up. By the time he had opened his eyes again, that thing, which turned out to be a paper doll, a little cute figure cutout, had burned to a crisp by Ubagabi's bright flames. The Chuukyuu backed away in fear.

"What was that?" Natsume exclaimed, still clutching his cheek where the paper doll had been stuck. "Paper? Natori-san must be-"

The Chukyuu suddenly fled into the forest, and the surrounding yokai withdrew back to their dwellings. The sudden silence was chilling and ominous. Something dangerous to the ayakashi was coming… Someone…

"Kid. As you do not want to come in contact with that exorcist, I am going to help you out." Ubagabi stated, and before he could protest, Natsume was flung backwards by an invisible force. With a surprised yelp, he went right through the waterfall, which was even colder at night, and landed rather softly on the mattress of dry grass he had previously awakened at, gazing at the dark brown ceiling of the cave with confusion.

He immediately stood right back up and hurried to the waterfall, but as his hands dug into the fresh water that poured endlessly, he found himself unable to proceed because of an invisible barrier that blocked his exit.

Outside, Hiiragi cursed with displeasure at her own slow reaction. She had not managed to grab the boy in time, and now the flaming ayakashi stood in her way, stubbornly reluctant to let her pass. She reached for the sword behind her back, determined to slash her enemy and force her way through.

Natsume watched the two blurred shapes, one glowing yellow and red and the ether crouched and ready to strike. Was there nothing he could do to stop them?

As if to make things worse, a tall, well-built man walked out of the shadows. His elegant clothes were not suited for treks in the forest, but they seemed to be in a surprisingly good condition. The slim, handsome man took off his brown hat, letting his short dark blond hair flow. "Now now, don't be rash, Hiiragi. This ayakashi is not a small fry," he warned, light reflected from his round glasses.

Even though Natsume couldn't quite make out the features of the new arrival, he could easily guess who it was.

"Please kindly return Natsume to us," Natori demanded with a sly smirk.

"The thing is, exorcist, that he does not wish to return at the moment" Ubagabi screeched. "I do not wish to fight you. Go back to your business."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Whatever he has to say, let him say directly to me." He insisted while taking out a talisman from his pocket, a subtle but threatening gesture.

"He is behind the waterfall." Hiiragi quickly informed him.

"I see."

But as he got ready to throw that slip of paper, the fireball yokai circled the clearing at immense speed, grazing past the man's shoulders dangerously close, to the point that his brown warm coat started to smell burned and smoke ominously. Hiiragi rushed to the side of her master protectively, and Ubagabi hurled herself towards the masked yokai, her old face drawn back in a terrifying expression as she released a mighty shriek.

"Stop, Ubagabi!" Natsume desperately yelled.

In cue, the ayakashi came to a sudden stop, merely a hair's width away from Hiiragi's mask, the heat causing the images to tremble. For a moment, everything remained frozen. Then, the great fire slowly died away, and the face of the old woman twisted and changed until the mass of her head became an innocent, brown chicken with shabby wings and half-plucked feathers. The fowl fell into the pond with a small splash, flicking its wings around in panic.

Hiiragi lowered her sword and Natori-san sighed with relief, having suddenly realized how close he had been to meeting his death. Slightly panicked, he took his coat off and patted the burned areas repeatedly with frustration, making sure that nothing was on fire. "This was favourite one…" he mumbled sadly, looking at the permanent black stains.

The invisible wall that had been blocking Natsume off vanished. The boy went through the waterfall, his snow-white hair and torn clothes sticking close to his wet skin and making him appear even more fragile and skinny. His face was paler than usual, and his eyes, now eerily emerald and non-human, were flooded with worry and concern.

Natori couldn't help but stare at him with a dumbstruck expression, mouth forming a perfect 'O' and eyes wide with disbelief.

Was that Natsume? His face was still the same, his frail, slim figure unchanged. He even wore his school uniform, like any other ordinary kid. He was the same, yet… so different. Could he be mistaken? Why did he get that same feeling as he did when he encountered yokai?

How had that child come to be… that? How could Natori have let that happen?

Natsume tensed up, hesitating. He stopped, more than a few feet away from the exorcist and his familiar, lowering his gaze with a grim expression.

"How did this happen?" a whisper barely escaped Natori-san's lips.

Natsume kept looking away, wondering if coming out of the cave had proved to be such a good idea after all. "…does it really matter?"

"Of course it does." The exorcist growled.

Natsume winced, feeling his shoulders droop as he tried to shrink in size. Natori-san's demanding tone was so terrifyingly foreign. "A yokai made me drink its blood."

Natori's first thought that abruptly popped into his mind, shocking him immensely, was _'mermaid blood'_. Drink that and you will be cursed with immortality. He gasped, feeling his heart racing as he tried to calm down. Hiiragi turned to him with worry, sensing his distress.

Something so awful… He glanced back at Natsume with an expression of hopelessness. What else could it be? Had he drunk blood from any other ayakashi, he would have died.

"Natori-san, I am fine now." Natsume said with a sharp breath, noticing the tall man's discomfort.

"This… This is not fine." The man retorted coldly, but his eyes burned.

He gripped a tuff of his hair and pulled at it nervously. "Nyanko-sensei is trying to find a way to fix this. So there's no need to worry about it."

"There is!" Natori-san cut him off angrily. "You're not fine, Natsume! This?" he gestured towards him "This is something to worry about! You need help! The Matoba Clan might know how to cure this, you should go to them-"

"No! They certainly do not! As I said, Nyanko-sensei is already on it!" Natsume snapped. "There is no need for you to get involved, Natori-san. I'll take care of it by myself." He added with a more gentle tone, already feeling guilt for having shouted, his emerald eyes fixated on the tranquil surface of the pond that sparkled under the moonlight.

Natori-san scoffed. "By yourself? You're still clinging onto that strategy?" his expression was all worn out, that of a very tired man that barely resembled the dashing young actor he was. The little black lizard slithered across his cheeks swiftly.

"Yes. By myself." The boy repeated stubbornly, letting those words sink in during the following moments of awkward silence.

Natori exhaled loudly. Somehow realizing the drop in his defenses, Natsume looked up, finally meeting eyes with the man. The exorcist felt a chill run down his spine, being subjected to that piercing emerald gaze, but didn't allow it to show on his face.

"The Fujiwaras are worried about you, you know. Your friends too. They've been searching the forest for hours now. The police are going to investigate here soon as well."

At that, the teenager felt something crumble apart inside him. Whatever it was, it made it hard to breathe, an aching heart was how he could best describe it.

"Your guardians… they truly care about you, Natsume. Don't tell lies to yourself anymore."

"I didn't mean to cause so much trouble for everyone. I… I didn't."

"You're not trouble." Natori-san stated with some irritation. Seeing how the kid treated himself, automatically believing he was a burden, was something he disliked because he knew how that felt all too well. And now he was experiencing things from the other point of view, much to his surprise. "Listen, Natsume. It's ok to tell adults some things. That's why, I will listen to whatever you have to say and do my best to understand. Just… tell me what happened to you. We'll go find that yokai together and ask for a way to reverse the effects. Yes, I'm sure there's a way. Ok?" He did his best to give a warm smile.

The boy bit his lower lip, and his gaze returned to the calm pond his feet were firmly sunk into. He thought about it for a few moments. It was a good chance. It was really tempting… he could just let everything out. He could speak about the Yuujinchou, about his grandmother, about the yokai, about the hardships he had had to face up to that point. He could speak about the dragons, about Madoka, how he had been forced to this condition... How he wished to get that burden off his heart!

But… Did he really believe things would turn out for the better? It would only perplex things and cause trouble. What if he couldn't return the names of the yokai anymore, now that he was… like that? Would the Yuujinchou be in safe hands? What if Nyanko-sensei never came back? What if he had indeed become… a yokai? He would have to leave everything behind…

No. Natori-san could not save him. The exorcist would take it out on himself if he couldn't save Natsume. The boy knew that, because he and Natori were similar in many ways. No…He had to be patient and put his faith on his bodyguard.

"I am sorry, Natori-san. I have nothing to tell you this time." Natsume said so dryly that even he could not believe it was himself who had spoken. Then, he stared directly at Naotri-san's worried reddish-brown eyes with a blank expression. "I can handle this by myself. Please leave." He demanded softly.

The exorcist didn't reply right away.

"Natsume…" Hiiragi finally decided to speak, taking a few hesitant steps forward, but Natori stopped her by raised his hand strictly.

"Tomorrow, I will return. I will use any means necessary to drag you back. So you better pray that your cat solves this problem, or I'll seal the damn thing for a thousand years." He yelled, trembling from rage, with scorching eyes. The tall man then turned around, his coat swishing in sync, and strode away with heavy steps, clearly infuriated as he kicked a pile of leaves on his wake, sending them swirl around with an air of anger.

Hiiragi, taken aback by her master's tantrum, glanced at the boy that stood firmly at his spot, his expression obscured by the white bangs as he lowered his gaze speechlessly to the water of the pond. She hesitated for a bit, taking a deep breath as if she wished to say something, but nothing ever reached Natsume's ears.

Silence.

Little ripples traversed across its surface, a sign that Hiiragi had gone after her master.

He felt the need to crash on the floor and remain there for hours, but then he remembered that it was a pong he was standing in. Still not uttering a word, with a cold and emotionless face, he turned around as well to get into the cave, thinking of the bed that awaited him there.

"Don't worry. Madara will be back by morning." Ubagabi finally spoke. The yokai had remained silent during the argument, floating on the shallow pond gracefully without being noticed. Natsume wondered if normal chickens floated or swam in general, but he dismissed the matter as irrelevant. He needed sleep.

He passed through the curtain of water, welcoming its cold touch, and without bothering to take his wet clothes off, he plunged right onto the patch of dry grass that he had been given in the dark corner of the cave.

The dull brown wall he stared at for several minutes would have blushed shyly if it could from the attention it was receiving. Natsume's eyes, emitting that eerie green glow, were not really reflecting his emotions.

'Is this ok?' a little nasty voice, which he recognized as a pinch of guilt deep inside, spoke up much to his annoyance.

Perhaps he was just being childish. Would it have been that bad to let an aiding hand help him get back to his feet again? Why was it so hard to let people near him… Had he made no progress at all?

"I am selfish." He remarked with a snort, still scowling intensely at the cave, before bringing his arm up to cover his face, and block the world out, welcoming the soothing feeling of emptiness the darkness brought with a soft grin formed by his tightly-pressed lips, one which harbored immense sadness and desperation.

.

.

.

"Takashi."

He groaned in response.

"Wake up, kid."

The boy shifted in his sleep, clinging closer to the not-so-comfortable makeshift bed of dry grass. It was so warm and he was so tired, why couldn't he be left alone for five more minutes?

"I am not a caretaker of human cubs." Ubagabi's deep, creepy voice indicated she was starting to lose her patience. "Come on, brat!" she then roared with might, right next to the teen's ear, the angry shriek resonating in the brown, crumbly walls of the cave.

Natsume sprang up with a yelp, accidentally knocking over the small brown chicken that had been pecking his sides a few seconds ago. Ubagabi cursed as she toppled over, flapping her wings madly with angry shrieks and croaks.

Excruciating pain flared up in his chest, causing him to wince terribly, finding it hard to draw breaths as his muscles seemed to tear little by little every time they contorted. In a confused daze, he looked around. Suddenly, as he remembered why he was in the cave, the memories of the previous night returning to him like a lightning shaking the earth violently with its powerful strike.

Slowly, his body relaxed. The scorching pain subsided, still there but considerably weakened. Natsume glanced at the curtain of falling water at the entrance of the cave. His reflection stared back, the same pale boy with the same white bangs and inhuman eyes, still scared and confused.

His attention returned to the chicken, that was still eyeing him with narrowed eyes from a safe distance. Ubagabi, seeing that the boy had finally snapped out of it, sighed heavily and took the chance to explain. "Madara has returned." She informed, pointing at the waterfall with her shabby yellowish leg.

"Nyanko-sensei has?" Natsume repeated, feeling a sudden wave of joy. "Why didn't he wake me up?" he complained with a cheerful smile as he forced himself to stand up despite the pain.

"He said something about humans needing more sleep in this day and age."

"Sensei did?" the boy blinked with surprise.

"He was obviously concerned because you had to go a long time without his life force aiding you. The fool's grown softer." The chicken scoffed.

He frowned. If anything, he felt worse than last night. His body was so stiff and heavy…

Slowly, Natsume made his way to the waterfall and went through it without hesitation. The splash of cold water was enough to make his drowsiness disappear completely. He breathed in the fresh morning air with gratitude and wiped his eyes before opening them.

Playful sunrays made the pond sparkle gold and the smoothed out rocks glint like pearls. A calm breeze was causing the leaves of the trees to rustle softly, and the usual, happy chirping of the birds echoed sweetly in the clearing. Nyanko-sensei was lying by the edge of the shallow pond, his snow-white fur swaying in the wind. He had his snout pointed at the sun, enjoying the warmth full-heartedly, and his legs and tail were close to his body. That position made him look more like a cat…

"Nyanko-sensei!" Natsume greeted as he waded through the waters to get near his bodyguard.

The big inugami opened its yellow eyes and turned to glare at him strictly. "Don't strain yourself, idiot." He scolded, watching as the boy made his way next to him. Nyanko leaned closer and Natsume placed a cold hand on the ayakashi's head, ruffling his fur affectionately. "How are you feeling?"

"I've been better." The white-haired teen replied with a wry smirk.

"What's up with all the grinning?" the inugami raised an eyebrow with suspicion.

"It creeps me out whenever you worry too much, Sensei." He chuckled sheepishly.

Madara's tail unraveled and whipped the air. "Is it weird that I am trying to do my job? I am your bodyguard, remember? Don't think for a second that I forgot about Touko's cooking! You owe me a dozen plates by now, and the number keeps increasing with each passing second!" he barked.

"Sure, sure…" Natsume's giggles faded away. The boy carefully lay on the ayakashi's broad side, sinking into the warm fur with an exhausted sigh.

Nyanko-sensei, noticing the sudden display of weakness, pressed his giant forehead against Natsume's body, his red markings immediately glowing blue as he transferred some of his energy to him. However, this time it didn't have that much of an effect. Natsume's condition was getting worse, and he could only stall it.

"Your wounds are worse than mine." Natsume noticed with his lips pursed tightly in a bitter calm façade as he gently traced the little bumps hidden under the inugami's white coat with his fingers.

"Idiot. I am an ayakashi. This is nothing, I've had worst." Nyanko-sensei snorted in his high-and-mighty way.

"Did you find the dragons?" the teen suddenly asked.

"Yes. It was a piece of cake." Madara nodded slightly.

"What were they like?"

"They were… big. Very big. Two big blue dragons. What else is there to say?" he groaned impatiently. "What do you care anyway? So I went and talked to them. It was a bit hard to make them listen…" The white inugami frowned at that, probably having an unpleasant flashback "…but once I mentioned your name, they bowed down to my magnificence!" he added mischievously.

Natsume rolled his eyes at that. "So… what did they say?" he finally asked, suddenly feeling like the joyful morning was no longer that bright. The sun was blinding him, and his clothes were cold and muddy. He wanted to go back home and take a bath. He needed to.

The white inugami stiffened, and Natsume's dread grew.

"They gave me this…" Nyanko-sensei hesitantly spoke and opened his mouth, revealing a row of sharp, long fangs.

Curious, Natsume looked inside the ayakashi's mouth. He spotted the object Nyanko was referring to right away; it was a lustrous, oxford blue dragon scale, with a bit pointy edges, the size of a 500-yen coin, giving off the impression of being more precious than any museum's artifact thanks to its sinister faint glow. A silver thread, which appeared to be made from a thin strand of hair, was going through a little piercing on the scale to form a sort of pendant. The necklace had been neatly tied around one of Nyanko-sensei's teeth.

With growing fascination, the boy silently reached to carefully untie it while Nyanko-sensei patiently waited for him to finish. Once the tip of his index finger came in contact with the smooth, cold surface of the dragon scale, he shivered and withdrew his hand, now clasping the pendant tightly, surprised by the sudden surge of power that ran through him like power circuit. However, it was only his initial touch that had caused such a strong reaction.

"It is a gift by the twin dragons of Hi-no-Hanabira-no-Mizumi. Lake of the Fire-petals." Madara explained while Natsume held the pendant up in the sunlight and watched in awe as the colors danced playfully across the dark blue surface. Nyanko-sensei snorted arrogantly, muttering something about humans being too easy to impress, before he continued. "They agreed to respond to your plead to ah, 'maintain a human physique'. An eye cannot blink without an eyelid. This scale, offered by the dragons themselves, is here to serve that purpose. It cannot be broken, burned, or damaged in any way that doesn't include spiritual means, and the fine strings that bind it are from the dragons' manes, sturdier than steel."

Suddenly, Natsume turned to look at his Sensei with a panicked expression. "So how does it work?"

"Didn't you hear? An eye cannot blink without an eyelid." Nyanko-sensei's yellow eyes narrowed with irritation. The white inugami exhaled loudly. "Simply put, if you keep this on, your recently awoken powers will be sealed. Temporarily covered. Whatever you want to call it. If you take it off, you will revert to this state. It's really convenient, to be able to switch forms whenever you please!"

And with that, the ayakashi transformed back to the fat maneki cat, a proud smug decorating its furry face as he watched Natsume lean dangerously backwards and nearly fall down, unprepared as he was for the sudden disappearance of the sturdy, white furry wall. The boy would have swung a punch or two at the snickering cat for the nasty surprise, but he decided to let the matter slide, only giving the ayakashi a strict, deep scowl.

"See? Convenient and entertaining." Nyanko waved his little round paws around, showing off.

"So I only have to keep wearing this, right?"

"Yes. Though I'll say it now, don't be an idiot and waste the chance to explore the potentials of the ayakashi's world." The cat nudged Natsume's feet playfully. "There are so many types of sake to try out!"

"Is sake and food all that runs through your head, Sensei?" Natsume drawls with a bored expression.

"Why, I'll have you know, sake produced by spirits for spirits is the best of the best!" Nyanko-sensei protested stubbornly.

"I'm still underage, I can't drink." Natsume blankly stated, avoiding the conversation that was bound to begin if they were to keep talking about Madara's favorite subject.

The cat whistled mockingly as he dug his nails in the soil lazily. "Humans and their unreasonable habits…" He mumbled grumpily. Suddenly, his black eyes widened as he noticed that the white-haired boy was about to put the pendant around his neck. "Wait, you idiot!" he hissed, and Natsume turned to glance at him with confused emerald eyes. "Since you're so badly injured, and I have no idea how your powers being sealed might affect your healing capabilities, it might be better to transform somewhere near humans, so that they can tend to your wounds immediately."

Natsume grimaced slightly at the word 'transform'. It was weird, coming out of the cat's mouth so casually, as if 'tranforming' or doing other weird things, with weird powers, looking weird, probably actually being weird, was something he was now supposed to do.

Not that he wasn't used to weirdness already.

He couldn't quite explain it, but he could certainly feel it, deep inside him, scaling the walls of his skin, ready to burst out at his command; a mystical power, shifting uncomfortably inside him. It was scary, dead-right terrifying. It was like it had a mind of its own, a confused and lost entity. What was he supposed to do with it? What did it want? What did he want?

How did the dragons' stigma affect him? Was he less than human somehow, and more spirit? Was this going to interfere with his normal life?

' _Normal.'_ He thought as he glanced silently at his reflection on the calm, crystal-clear waters of the pond _'I've never been quite normal. But I do not wish to be any more abnormal than I already am'._

What had he become? He still couldn't wrap his head around it. He still couldn't digest the facts.

"Natori-san is…"

"I know of the exorcist-brat's visit. Ubagabi already told me. But since you are going to return home by yourself, there's no need for him to confront us."

Home… that's right, he had a home to return to. Touko-san and Shigeru-san were waiting for him. They were waiting for Natsume Takashi to come back safe. And he would hate to keep them worrying.

A home. So fragile and precious… He had finally obtained it after all that time but everything could still break into pieces. Now more than ever.

"Let's go express our gratitude to Ubagabi now, before we leave, Nyanko-sensei." Natsume finally said, with a faint trace of a bitter smile on his face.

"I've been waiting to hear that. Finally." The maneki cat dove into the pond happily, causing water to splatter everywhere as he jumped in and out cheerfully, heading to the waterfall while mumbling about Touko-san's delicious cooking and how much he had missed it.

' _Yes. I've missed it too.'_ Natsume followed, ignoring the pinch in his heart.

.

.

As proud owner of the little old cottage that marked the town's shared borders with the forest, the equally-old, kind lady with the crooked back, known by all to offer candy to both adults and children whenever they passed by, Kaede Kobayashi, was used to handling the housework without any help.

That sunny morning, sticking to her strict routine, Kobayashi-san walked up to the washing line that had been stretched between two trees, carrying a small basket that contained a couple of recently-washed clothes. Living by herself, the old woman didn't have to take care of laundry that often, and even now the basket was half-empty.

"Good morning, Kobayashi-san!"

"Ah, Atsushi-kun! I was worried, you didn't show up yesterday!" she exclaimed happily as she turned around.

Kitamoto dismounted his bike and let it rest on the white, tatty makeshift fence, allowing himself to catch his breath, exhausted as he was from pedaling faster than usual. "Well… yeah… I'm running late… for school…" he briefly explained between his pants.

Three large plastic bags had been carefully stacked on the bicycle. Kobayashi-san was his grandpa's aunt's niece or something along the line. Once a month, he was supposed to deliver a few necessary items to the elderly woman's house, since she had some trouble walking all the way to the depths of the town to get them. Normally, he would have taken care of it during an evening, but he had forgot and had decided that this time, he would do it early in the morning instead. It was not like he had anything else to do, and sleeping enough was the last thing on his mind.

"Thank you very much, dear." Kobayashi-san gratefully took the shopping bags that Kitamoto had held out for her, smiling at him kindly. "Would you like a glass of water?"

"Thanks, but there's not much time." He politely refused, grabbing his bike again with a worried expression as he thought about the scolding he'd probably receive by an angry teacher for his tardiness.

"You need to get more sleep, Atsushi-kun. You have black bags under your eyes…" the old lady advised, and then added, with a wry smirk "…perhaps there is a lady on your mind? Ah, youth is so bittersweet! It reminds me of that one time-"

"I really have to get going, Kobayashi-san!" Kitamoto interrupted her with a nervous grin. "Next time I promise to stay a bit longer, so you can tell me."

"Ah, yes, yes. Being late at school is bad for your grades, Atsushi-kun. At least take my advice and rest a bit more." She nodded in understanding.

The brown-haired boy prepared to mount his bike and wave the elderly woman goodbye, when his expression turned to curiosity, confusion and lastly horror. The old, rusty bike fell from his hands and landed roughly on the dirt. Kitamoto paled and his eyebrows shot up as he stared somewhere into the distance. Disturbed by the sudden change, Kobayashi-san reflexively turned around to see what had captured the boy's attention, feeling her own heart skip a beat in the heat of the moment.

She spun around just in time to see a slim figure collapse on the unattended lawn of her yard.

"Good grief!" she exclaimed as her wrinkles deepened. Not thinking about it twice, she hurried to the fallen person's side and kneeled down despite her aching back.

The dusty-blond-haired boy was breathing heavily, his thin eyebrows were knitted and he looked like he could use some more color on his cheeks. His clothes were all torn and muddy, just like his dirtied face and hands, and strangely enough, he was missing any shoes. It didn't take long for the old woman to take note of the crimson liquid that came oozing from the boy's chest, staining his clothes even more.

Finally snapping out of it, Kitamoto sprinted by the wounded boy's side, slightly hyperventilating from panic. "N-Na-Natsume is… Natsume!" he stuttered weakly, observing how battered up his friend was, how much blood he had lost, how his body hung limply from the old woman's hands…

Somehow having recognized his name being called, Natsume's bronze-gold eyes shot open. They made eye contact for a brief second, and Kitamoto felt his muscles freeze into place, not daring to break the stare. And then Natsume's eyes rolled into their sockets and his eyelids fell back down, marking the loss of consciousness.

"Atsushi-kun! The phone! Call an ambulance!" Kobayashi-san ordered, her voice eerily icy and harsh.

"A-Alright!" he shouted and hesitantly turned around to run to the house, trying to disregard his trembling arms and shaky breath.

That had been his friend. Thad had been his friend lying there on the grass, staining the green with red. That had been Natsume…

* * *

Uh, yeah, that was mean, leaving you with this cliffhanger… If you consider it a cliffhanger, that is.

I had been having a lot of difficulty deciding what to have Natsume do. Idea 1 was to have his stay in his white hair and emerald eyes but return without any problems to his home. Idea 2 was to have him remain hidden for a longer while in the forest. Idea 3 was to have Natori-san find out much, much later about everything. Idea 4 was to have him become an ayakashi completely…And so on, with many more ideas. But I guess it doesn't matter anymore, I chose what I chose to write.

If you have any questions, or if you notice any loopholes, don't hesitate to point them out!

So Natsume returns to his home! How is everyone going to react? What about the exorcists? What about Iwaho, who was sent after Natsume by Madoka?

Even I am wondering! Why? Because I haven't made up my mind yet! Yeah, I'm an awesome writer, go figure…

Enjoy the remaining winter days!

Till next time!


	6. Family and Dreams

Welcome back everyone, I hope you haven't forgotten about this story. I did… (nervous laughter)

Life (as in, unexpected situations and responsibilities) has been a bit demanding lately. I'm also angry at myself because I know that I could have tried a bit harder. I know what it's like, waiting for the next update forever. It sucks! Not even a dozen apologies can make it up to you.

I'd like to thank all of you, dear readers, for sticking with this story despite its two-or three?- month hiatus. Reading each of your encouraging reviews is one of the best things that come with writing. It's so nice knowing that I can offer you something you like and make you a bit happier, wherever you are in the world, whatever you might be doing, whoever you might be.

Unfortunately, updates will continue to be scarce until summer arrives. Ah, sweet summer!

 **Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.**

Ok, moving on… I took a lot of risks with this chapter. To be honest, I won't be surprised if you don't like it. But there's no turning back now…

Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

 _The ground below is stained with crimson ashes._

 _Fire… a giant bright yellow monster, merciless and unstoppable… a thousand orange snakes, baring their fangs and hissing threateningly as they devour everything tangible around them, a feast with no manners. All is melting… Melting away, crumbling…._

 _Destruction echoes hollowly. Nothing is left. Only the gluttonous fire._

 _This is not enough. We will never be sated…_

 _._

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"Do you think he's having a bad dream?" a muffled, tired voice came from under a warm woolly blanket that covered an exhausted Touko-san that had curled on the uncomfortable plastic chair in hopes of falling asleep.

Shigeru-san gave a weak glance at her, considering her tangled, bushy hair, somehow appearing to have lost its healthy gloss, and bitterly regarded the black bags that hung under her eyes, before shifting his attention to the hospital bed in front of them.

Natsume's soft breathing was bringing about a very reassuring ambience, along with the constant rise and fall of his chest under the white sheets. His skin was even more pale than usual, almost a deathly gray, his hair colour had faded away a bit. Currently, his eyebrows were creased and his lips were tightly pursed. According to the high-pitched beeping of the machine that recorded his heart rate, it had sped up a little.

"Maybe. By the time he wakes up though, I'm sure it will be forgotten." The man grinned tiredly as he brought the still hot coffee container to his lips and sipped. The bitter liquid left a pleasant aftertaste as it slid down his dry throat.

"What should we do for him, Shigeru? Is there anything I could do? I… I know I am not his mother. But I love him as if he were my own child. What-just what- is a mother supposed to do for her child at a time like this?" she sobbed quietly, and the woolly blanket went up to cover more of her face.

Shigeru-san bit his lip. Seeing his wife make such an expression was very saddening. His fingers raked his hair before his hand dropped back in defeat to his sides. "There is nothing else we can do other than being there for him. We are his family, aren't we? We'll get through this together." He said after a lot of thought, taking his glasses from the counter and started to wipe them on his shirt absent-mindedly.

"...I can't begin to imagine what he's been through…" Touko-san mumbled.

"Takashi's strong." The man glanced over at the boy with a caring grin. "He's been through many hardships before. Remember the time he injured himself and we came to see him at that hospital?"

"How could I forget?" she glanced at him knowingly. Takashi had been crying and begging them to take him in as soon as he had awoken.

"I don't think I'm the only one who can see how much he's changed since that day. He has been laughing more, talking more openly… He has made friends… If anything, I'd say that this time, his recovery will be faster than ever."

Silence again.

"See? The nightmare is over. I think he's having a good time right now." Shigeru's soft voice suddenly snapped Touko-san's worried mind back to reality.

The woman smiled, perhaps the first genuine smile of the day. As weak and mild as it was, Shigeru-san loved the return of such a peaceful emotion on her face. "You're right…" she chuckled, watching the sleeping boy with amusement.

Natsume's features had softened. A calm, blissful grin was plastered on his face, and some colour was beginning to dye his cheeks a more natural shade. Touko-san's slender fingers, soft and tender despite the scars bestowed on them by regular housework, gingerly brushed away a few hay-blond strands of hair from his sweaty forehead.

"Hospitals do not allow pets in, right?"

"It's a bad idea."

"I didn't get to say anything yet." She retorted playfully.

Shigeru-san sighed but a small smile crept up his lips.

What happened next made both adults flinch and gasp excitedly. Natsume's eyelids fluttered, revealing two sleepy golden-brown eyes. He stirred under the thin white sheets, inhaling loudly.

"Takashi!"

Then his eyebrows furrowed, recognizing the deep male voice. The spotless white ceiling above him was not familiar… He blinked trying to take in his surroundings as his muscles tensed, warning him about that scorching feeling on his chest, now numb and distant, yet still irritating.

Touko-san allowed the old woolly blanket to slide down off her back as she sprang up. Both of her hands instinctively went to the boy's face, holding him reassuringly. The scared orange-tint eyes locked on her own chestnut ones and she felt her heart flutter. Shigeru-san appeared in Natsume's hazy view, standing by the bed as well, his two big warm hands grasping his upper arm worriedly.

"How are you feeling, Takashi-kun?" Touko-san whispered, barely keeping her voice from cracking.

Slowly, his mind cleared. He glanced once again at the foreign bed he was in and spotted the bandaged-over needles that had been attached to his arms, dripping some sort of pain-numbing liquid into his veins. Come to think of it, the air reeked unpleasantly of antiseptics. _Ah…The hospital… of course…,_ he thought, forcing himself to relax.

"Touko-san…" he mumbled, feeling his throat sore. Seeing her face from up close made him tranquil, but her worried expression was alarming and saddening.

"Takashi… we're glad… very glad that you are safe." Shigeru-san spoke.

Touko's hands slid down from his cheeks, but her eyes were persistently on him. "I'm so sorry… I wish this could have been prevented…" she admitted, feeling her eyes sting, the familiar blur in her vision indicating that she was ready to shed tears. Determined not to make Natsume emotionally charged though, she put up a faint smile and her fingers kept playing with his hair.

"I was scared…" the boy admitted, his eyes lost in the distance. "I was scared that I wouldn't see you again. But in the end, it all turned out all right."

"Yes, it did. Shigeru-san and I… we were very scared too."

"I'm… sorry." Natsume averted his gaze in shame.

"Let us care for you, Takashi. That is what we feel like doing." Shigeru stated with a troubled look. "This is not your fault. So don't apologize, it's absurd."

He wanted to cry. Weep like a little child. Such was the joy this reunion brought forth, that he would have shamelessly allowed those tears that had been persistently tugging at his eyelids to escape, had it not been for the need to preserve the tranquillity and relief he was feeling at the moment, determined not to ruin it.

"Ah, I should probably call a doctor. Don't worry, I'll be back in a bit."

"Are you hungry? Thirsty? Oh, what am I asking, of course you are… The doctor should be the one to talk to you about these things…" Touko-san started babbling cheerfully while the tall man exited the room in a hurry.

Natsume grinned weakly, desperately trying to concentrate on what the exhausted, sleep-deprived woman in front of him was talking about so blissfully, but his mind was still jumping around from thought to thought. Subconsciously, he reached for the dragon-scale pendant, still hanging around his neck, invisible to others.

Silently, he wished that he would never have to take it off.

.

.

.

The faces of the four boys were calm and collected as each carefully observed the others' moves. Arranged in a circle, with Natsume sitting on the bed supported by tons of pillows and the three others on the surrounding chairs, leaning closer, the teens silently waited each for their turn to come. Blue, tatty cards were being placed on top of one another as the players got rid of them slowly and strategically.

"Ha! And it's my win!" Kitamoto released a jubilant cry as he shoved his card on top of the pile that lay on the tangled white bed sheets, which had been sprinkled with Taki's homemade cookies' crumbles.

Nishimura threw his own remaining five cards in the air with frustration, pulling slightly at his hair. "Unbelievable! How can you win six times in a row?" he sulkily complained.

Tanuma's knitted brows indicated his own irritation as he put down his cards, now on full display. "I'll have to agree with Nishimura here."

"What can I say? It's my lucky day." Kitamoto laughed sheepishly, on full boast-mode.

"Sorry Kitamoto, but you were a bit quick to decide you have won." Natsume's mischievous comment suddenly captured everyone's attention. With a mysterious smirk, he slowly put his own set of cards on top of Kitamoto's, earning a few gasps and a whistle from Nishimura.

"This… this combination… No way! How lucky is that?" Nishimura exclaimed in amazement before sticking out his tongue mockingly at his best friend, who was staring dumbfounded at the cards.

"Just… Just how much luck did you acquire by Sasada's present?" Kitamoto pointed accusingly at the little plastic figure of a green maneki-neko that stood proudly with its little paw beckoning, on the little yellow counter by Natsume's hospital bed next to a half-empty glass of water.

"Don't be so dramatic!" Nishimura jabbed him with his elbow, earning an irritated glare.

"You're the one who's dramatic all the time!"

"Actually, that's supposed to be for good health because it's green." Tanuma held his chin sceptically, eyeing the little figurine with interest.

"Oh, fair point." Kitamoto absent-mindedly put a cookie in his mouth and started to nibble at it. "Then I bet it's your cat, Natsume!"

"Come to think of it, Ponta does have the colours of a maneki neko…" the raven-haired boy agreed.

"Hey, Natsume, what are you going to do about school?" Nishimura started to gather the cards, bending down to pick the ones that had fallen on the floor too.

"School?" he blinked, not really having given that any thought.

"Yeah, about all the homework that has accumulated over the past couple of days," Kitamoto explained.

"Uh… I still have to do it?" he sighed gloomily, shoulders drooping.

"I'm sure the teachers will show some understanding in your case." Tanuma shook his head reassuringly.

"Hm, you're probably right. Hey, when are you getting out of here?"

"Soon, I hope. The doctor was not very specific, but he said I was surprisingly doing too well."

Incredulously well. The wounds were already almost closed and that baffled the doctors and nurses that would come to check on him every few hours.

"Too well, huh? That's good to hear." Tanuma mumbled.

"Hey! Ready for another round?" Nishimura spun around to face them with a raised brow, holding the deck of cards in one hand, provokingly shuffling them swiftly to try and look professional.

"Count me in!" Kitamoto shouted excitedly.

But then, the door flung open and all four heads turned to look at the unpleasant arrival with disappointed frowns; a nurse. The woman, in her late thirties, smiled warmly at all of them, with a hint of guilt upon noticing their sulky expressions.

"Sorry children. Those 'five more minutes' turned into ten. It's time to go now." She announced.

Disappointed sighs followed her words. The three boys started to pick up their stuff, mainly bags, remaining snacks, cards, other board games etc, muttering goodbyes to Natsume, who nodded back, before silently trudging out of the room, one behind the other.

"See ya tomorrow!"

"I'm bringing my laptop over so we can watch a movie!"

"Should I tell the girls to come too?…"

"Bye Natsume!"

How long had it been? Time appeared to be flying. His friends would come visit every day… He felt as if his abduction had been years ago. After all, he was used to finding himself in precarious situations all the time. But the others weren't. It wasn't very obvious, but he sensed that his friends were forcing themselves to be a bit too cheerful. Kitamoto in particular. Sometimes, Natsume would catch him staring at him with a fearful look, as if he regarded him to be a ticking bomb, ready to explode, that needed to be treated delicately. But still, they were trying, and for that, he was immensely grateful.

"Excuse me, miss…"

Natsume looked up, noticing that only Tanuma and the nurse were left.

"…I am expecting my father to come pick me up, but he's late, as you can see… Could I wait here? I'm sure he will arrive in the next five minutes." Tanuma continued.

The nurse frowned with some irritation. She momentarily glanced at her patient, who was also looking their way with curiosity. The boys had already stayed ten minutes more. Natsume Takashi was going to spend the night alone since both Fujiwaras had to work this time -it had proved a difficult task to convince Touko-san to finally spend a night in her own house. It wasn't allowed, but…

"Fine." She sighed in defeat.

"Thank you!" Tanuma exclaimed.

"But not a second more." She strictly added and left the room in a hurry.

Tanuma grinned at his friend triumphantly as he walked back to him, sprawling himself on one of the remaining chairs.

"That was just an excuse, wasn't it?" Natsume asked, with his never-faltering smile.

"Yes…" Tanuma nodded. His grin slowly disappeared however and a grim expression took over. Natsume didn't fail to notice it. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you in private. I wasn't sure when would be the right time. But this cannot wait any longer." He exhaled and suddenly straightened his back, his blue eyes filled with concern and determination as they met Natsume's own dark amber ones.

Natsume tensed, knowing what would follow. Yet he tried not to let it show on his face.

"You told the police and everyone else that you were attacked by a complete stranger. But that stranger was actually a yokai, wasn't it…" The silence was the only answer needed for Tanuma to confirm his suspicion. "Is it still out there? The yokai that attacked you?"

"…Yes." Natsume replied with reluctant honesty, lifting his firm stare from the bed sheets. "It's very dangerous, Tanuma. I don't want you to confront it."

Tanuma snorted with amusement "I'm not going to search for it, if that's what you're implying. That's your thing."

"Eh?"

"You usually run off by yourself to deal with whatever yokai happens to lurk around. I'm glad that at least Ponta shows up to save you most of the times."

Natsume exhaled, grinning half-heartedly.

"Will it come after you again?"

"…"

"When it does, don't you dare try to deal with it by yourself."

The severity in Tanuma's voice caused a flood of guilt for Natsume.

"Listen… I uh…" he regained his usual calm temper, shoulders shagging in and his sea-blue eyes locking on a distant target outside of the window. "I know it was pretty reckless, but Taki and I… we wandered into the forest to ask the yokai for help. We figured that, since you had mentioned that almost all of those that dwell in Yatsuhara mean no harm, they might have been able to give us information on your whereabouts."

"…I was told about that." Natsume decided to twist the truth.

Tanuma immediately turned to look at him, initially with surprise that then turned to confusion. "You're… not angry." He realized.

"Not really. I would have done the same, had it been you, Taki, or anyone else." He admitted.

The other boy frowned. "Unlike us though, you'd be able to actually talk to the yokai and make progress. The only yokai we spotted ran away. Which reminds me… It was a very strange one, with short, white hair and a rather human-like physique; at least it seemed like that from behind. I could see it very clearly for some reason. Do you think you know it?"

 _-'Don't hesitate. Don't mess this up.'_

"I don't think so…"

"I see…" Tanuma's sceptical expression turned to a saddened one. "It appeared to be wounded too. I'm a little worried, so if you could ask around to see if it's doing ok… that would be a huge favour and I'll definitely owe you one."

"Tanuma…"-silence ensued for a few seconds- "…Of course. There's no need to repay me in any way. I'll see what I can do… after I get out of this hospital bed though."

The raven-haired boy chuckled. "You're lucky you didn't break any bones. I can't picture _you_ on crutches for an entire month."

"Excuse me, boys." A loud voice interrupted.

How convenient! Natsume's face lit up with relief at the sight of the tall, scruffy-styled, exhausted and worn-out doctor that had just entered the room. The man was leaning on the wall with droopy shoulders, shooting the guilty nurse, who had followed worriedly as well, a few nasty looks for having allowed a visitor to stay much longer than permitted.

Tanuma winced guiltily and stood up, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Well um, see you tomorrow I guess. Don't do anything reckless."

Natsume managed to pull off a smile. "How could I, in this condition?"

"You don't have to seek trouble. It finds you by itself."

The raven-haired boy bowed his head slightly as he strode past the intensely-staring doctor, accelerating to a trot once he was out in the corridor. Before the distant footsteps disappeared completely, the doctor motioned for the nurse to close the door and marched loudly towards Natsume's bed. The boy stiffened.

"Natsume-san, if you would…"

Obediently, Natsume unbuttoned his white shirt. The man carefully took off the bandages and inspected the injuries with a mysterious expression. The orange-eyed boy curiously glanced down at his upper body. No wonder the doctor seemed so intrigued. The three long gashes were already on their way to closing completely. Still, they were destined to become scars, judging by the raw, pink skin that had formed over them. Finally, the nurse handed over the new bandages and the doctor skillfully wrapped his chest once more.

"I shall inform your guardians too, Natsume-san. Tomorrow, I will give you the discharge note. Actually, you could have already been sent home." He cracked an unexpected smirk and added, rather informally: "You're a tough nut kiddo"

Natsume nodded politely to show his gratitude, not sure what to reply to that remark. The doctor obtained his lost, deep frown and continued "Also, the police have asked to have another talk with you..."

Too bad the two police officers that were still on the case would not get anything useful out of him. The supposed crazed murdered still on lose was someone they couldn't even see. _Something_ , to be precise.

.

.

.

Natsume looked around with elation. His fingers grazed the smooth surface of the table. The familiar colours and smells of the kitchen were soothing. The constant tapping sound coming from the sink indicated that the leakage problem hadn't been solved during his absence. After all the time he had spent staring at the mundane, tasteless white walls of the hospital room, everything was a bit… overwhelming, in a good way.

A polite cough that came from the doorway, however, was enough to disrupt the peace. "May we…"

"Of course, of course!" Touko-san gestured for the two policemen to enter. "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes, thank you very much!" the shorter, younger and less experienced officer nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "What a lovely house you have, Fujiwara-san!"

His superior withheld a sigh, deciding to ignore the barely-contained enthusiasm of his partner.

"Why thank you! But, in all honesty, I think it needs a good cleaning. It's one of those times…" she smiled brightly.

Shigeru-san patted the boy's shoulder reassuringly and pulled back a chair, gesturing for him to take a seat. With a crooked, nervous grin, Natsume complied. The two police officers silently followed suit and sat opposite him. For a moment, all that could be heard was the bubbling whoosh of the water Touko-san was boiling for the tea.

A discreet, deep cough caught everyone's attention. Natsume blinked. The older, grumpier officer had decided to start the conversation. "So, Natsume-san. Tomorrow you're going back to school."

"Yes…" he nodded.

"We think it would be better if you didn't wander the streets alone for the time being. I'm sure your guardians will take care of that." The officer threw a side-glance at Shigeru-san, who was quietly observing. "Perhaps, by returning to the school grounds, a memory will be triggered. If you remember anything, be sure to give us a call."

"Trust your hunch. If your mind tells you that someone is suspicious, even if there is no obvious reason for that, you should inform us. Despite your memory being hazy, seeing a face related to the events that occurred on the night you went missing will probably bring about a strong reaction. Don't hesitate to tell us or your guardians, even if that person is in friendly terms with you." The younger officer advised, for once appearing serious and professional.

"We will be patrolling the area a lot, so rest assured; you are going to be safe here."

There was a pause as Touko-san served the tea. Natsume waited for her to pour the steaming liquid into all cups before grabbing his own between his hands, seeking some comfort from the warmth. The silence ensued for a few more seconds. Shigeru-san gestured towards the door and Touko-san nodded quietly.

Finally, the older policeman coughed discreetly and leaned a bit closer, with a somewhat darker expression. "There is something more that we would like to discuss with you, Natsume-kun." He dropped the formalities. "It's about the night you were found by the river bank. Could you tell us about it again?"

Natsume tensed. The police had been particularly pressing on that matter. Nyanko-sensei had admitted that he had leapt into the crime scene and had abducted Natsume's supposed corpse, baffling everyone. Luckily, no one seemed to notice Natsume's body fly away. They had witnessed, however, his hair change colour.

He took a deep breath, repeating the explanation in his mind before actually voicing it out loud for the third time that day. "After I fell into the river to escape the attacker, everything became hazy. I was moving just because of the adrenaline rush. I really can't remember. I just know that when I woke up, I was trapped in something yellow, so I panicked and ran away again, out of instinct. But it's all a blur… I didn't know what I was doing."

The officer nodded, a deep frown having formed on his face. "It is indeed strange that you do not recall those times. But what is even stranger is that no one saw you run, even though you crossed a large part of the town to get to the forest. And then… there is one more thing that's strange…"

The man glared intensely at him, knowingly, but simply gave him a crooked smile. "Well, you can leave everything to us. I assure you, we're doing everything we can to find the attacker."

The conversation went on smoothly after that. It was very stressing to have to lie continuously. Eventually, the two police officers ran out of questions and advice. The middle-aged man presented a box of manjuus, made by his wife specifically for the Fujiwaras before he and his partner left the household.

" _Is there something else I must know?"_

 _Natsume had titled his head, faking confusion._

" _Ah, never mind. Take care, Natsume-kun. You're a good customer for Nanatsujiya."_

That was their last exchange for the night.

Natsume exhaled loudly when Touko-san finally closed the door, the household finally empty of visitors. No more lies for that day, hopefully. He'd enjoy a good meal with Touko-san and Shigeru, take a bath (finally! The doctor had been very reluctant to allow that at first), and it was free time after that, reading a book or-

"Takashi-kun." Shigeru-san called from behind. He had a very rare, mysterious smirk, his eyes shimmering excitedly behind the glasses. Touko-san mimicked his expression and nodded in understanding. Natsume glanced back and forth between his two guardians with confusion.

"There's something we'd like you to have…"

He noticed that Shigeru's hands were behind his back. Was he hiding something?

"We figured that you wouldn't ask us for it on your own. But most children these days have one so…" Touko-san quickly walked up to her husband and grabbed his shoulder.

Shigeru-san finally presented what was in his hands, smiling with content at Natsume's wide-eyed reaction. It was a shiny, brand new cell phone with a touchscreen, slim, white and obviously expensive. Everything about it screamed 'technology'. He stared at the cell phone with awe, not sure what to do. He was at a loss for words, just gaping like a fish.

Not sure what to make of his silence, Touko-san panicked. "We were in a bit of a rush and we wanted it to be a surprise, so we didn't ask you… It's the colour, isn't it? Of course, it makes sense that you'd prefer another in black, or another model perhaps…"

Shigeru san squeezed her arm to acquire her attention, and when she looked up at him with confusion, he shook his head and pointed towards Takashi with his chin. Touko-san glanced back at her foster-son and froze.

"No… I like it. I really do." Natsume said as his features pulled back to reveal a row of glistening white teeth that formed one of his brightest, purest smiles. "Thank you, Touko-san… Shigeru-san…" -his eyes stinging, his vision growing blurry, a knot tightening deep into his throat- "Thank you."

.

.

.

Tap-tap-tap

How noisy… He just wanted to sleep…

TAP-TAP

Natsume frowned with annoyance and cracked an eye open. For a second, he lay there, glaring at the familiar ceiling of his room with confusion before remembering that he had returned home.

He let out a yelp of surprise and abandoned his pillow, sitting up upon noticing an all too familiar fat, round figure rubbing its face on the window from the outside. He squinted to make sure that, that was indeed Nyanko-sensei's face pressed on the transparent surface, making it fog up. The cat's clever eyes met his with a hint of amusement.

Tap-tap-tap, Nyanko kept tapping on the window with his little paws. Natsume tried to make sense of his muffled shouts. At last, the fat maneki-cat regained the memory of how he should open the window and squeezed inside, falling on the floor with a loud thump.

"Nyanko-sensei!" the boy greeted with a yawn.

Nyanko scrambled back on his short little legs quickly, pretending that everything had been on purpose, and gracefully hopped on Natsume's lap, who sighed and started petting the ayakashi's big furry head. He reeked of sake again, and judging by the wobbly acrobatics, he was not even a quarter sober.

"Where have you been all this time?" Natsume questioned worriedly as he examined the cat's wounds. Thankfully, they were already half-way there at being fully healed.

"Why, doing my job of course." Nyanko-sensei purred loudly, his eyes closed with content. "I decided that tonight is a time to take a break. You know. Relax. Have fun with the wimp."-he glanced at him mockingly- "Drink some sake."

"Just so you know, you missed Touko-san's fried shrimp."

"WHAT?!" he bellowed, life draining from his face.

Natsume didn't bat an eyelash, used as he was to the cat's sudden snaps. He lay back down and pulled the blanket over half of his face, mumbling sleepily: "Your portion is still in the fridge."

"That's better! But still… it's not fresh! It's not very yummy now! It's not fair! Hey, Natsume!" Nyanko-sensei started nudging him "Tell Touko-san to make us fried shrimp again tomorrow!"

"No." He frowned with irritation.

"How cruel! You're a slave driver who doesn't show any gratefulness!"

"Still a no."

"Tsk." The ayakashi finally gave up. "The Inu no Kai is constantly nagging me about wanting to see you. Expect an all-night banquet tomorrow. They were very excited to hear about your new status" Nyanko-sensei found the perfect spot for a nap, between Natsume's legs, and curled into a heavy, fluff-ball, ready to drift to sleep.

"Status? You mean… the dragons'…"

"You shouldn't take that pendant off for a while. It appears to be doing you good to have your powers sealed at the moment. My guess is that it's because you're used to this form since it's your original. But enough worrying, for now, don't you think? Humans need more sleep. Isn't that what you always complain about?"

Natsume smirked. "So you do listen after all."

Loud snoring followed.

"You couldn't have fallen asleep that fast, Sensei."

"I can't hear you right now. I'm having a blast, running around in a field of fried shrimps"

"What kind of dream is that?"

But the cat kept making snoring noises just to annoy him. Slowly, however, as the seconds ticked by, the snoring turned soft and rhythmical, like a sweet lullaby. Natsume's eyelids got too heavy, soothed by the familiar melody. He glanced at his desk, where the cell phone lay, shiny and new, a bit foreign perhaps, and a bright grin made its way to his face. Eventually, he allowed himself to be embraced by sleep.

.

.

 _The ground below is stained with crimson ashes._

 _Fire… a giant bright yellow monster, merciless and unstoppable… a thousand orange snakes, baring their fangs and hissing threateningly as they devour everything tangible around them, a feast with no manners. All is melting… Melting away, crumbling…._

 _Destruction echoes hollowly. Nothing is left. Only the gluttonous fire._

 _They betrayed us. They used us. They got what they deserved._

 _My brother, this is not enough, do not bow your head in shame. We shall never be sated. We shall never cease to destroy. Just as they broke us, we will break them. Just as they didn't show mercy, we will not pity them. Just as they took everything away from us, we will take everything away from them._

 _More. More! We will never be sated!_

 _MORE!_

 _kiLL mORe, NeVeR fORgIVe ThEM!_

 _MoRe,_ _MoRe_ _,_ _MoRE_ _,_ _mORe_ _,_ _MoRE_ _,_ _MorE_

.

"GWAH!"

Natsume sprang up, panting and heaving, the blanket wrapped around him like a cocoon causing his claustrophobic side to take action and force the blanket off. That didn't help much. The chilliness took advantage of his cold sweat and started to attack him relentlessly. His throat felt sore, his fingers numb, his lungs burning as they strived along with his panicked heart. He was shivering uncontrollably, his pupils dilated from shock. Natsume curled into a ball, bringing his knees close to his body, hugging them closely as he rocked himself back and forth repeatedly, desperately trying to calm down.

He could still see the chaos every time he closed his eyes; fire consuming everything, the blood slowly seeping into the grey ashes, the wind blowing hollowly through the singed bricks and beams, ruins of homes that had been wiped out of existence. Dismembered, naked bodies, limbs bent in awkward positions, severed heads with frozen expressions of fright, all of those atrocities were scattered around, lifeless, hopeless, meaningless. Why was he standing amidst this disaster unfazed, devoid of any emotions? How could he look directly at the eyes of a nearby corpse, eyes that were cold, empty, glazed over, dead? How could he remain so calm?

No, it hadn't been him. That was somebody else's dream, an alien memory. It had been no ordinary nightmare.

"N-Nyanko-sensei…" Natsume called weakly, feeling the need to come in contact with a living being.

There was no answer, other than the soft whistling of the wind that snuck in through the open window, the curtains swaying eerily, the moonlight trembling with uncertainty because of their constant motion, showering only half of the room. The absence of the ayakashi sank in devastatingly quickly.

Natsume continued to take deep breaths, hoping that his bodyguard would return soon enough.

* * *

Yeah, yeah, I know, stupid nerve-wracking cliffhanger! It was a pretty dark ending for an overall happy chapter.

Did you like the creepy letters? Well, I tried…

Also… the cell phone! I threw that in at the last moment. I just wanted to add some more interaction between Natsume and his guardians. I think I ruined it because it started so suddenly and ended so suddenly, it was just a bit of an explosion that could have been processed a bit more.

What about my descriptions? Are they lacking? –I mean, I myself can see that some parts of the chapter are poorly written.

It seemed to drag on forever, too. I'm afraid I might rush things, so I'm trying to make the plot advance as slowly as possible. Maybe it's too slow though? I don't know, you tell me. Does the story seem a bit… of a slowpoke? Or a bit of a rush-rush-never-hush? (great description there, ten out of ten)

I cannot guarantee an update very soon. I'll try to update at least once during May, but it's going to be very difficult, so I cannot promise anything. Once summer arrives, I hope I'll have much more time to devote to this fanfic (I love this story so much, I don't want it to slowly wither away like some others I've written, which I also discontinued midway or at the beginning even). The only way to keep it is alive is… well, by writing it! Which makes sense, I guess.

Ok. See you all next chapter!

Thanks again for your presence!


	7. Iwaho's Release

No update in May. No update at the start of June. But here it is, last and sweaty, took its time.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE!

Now, I want to warn you that this chapter ends with a cliffhanger as well. I saw the chance and I took it, I couldn't help myself...

Anyways, enjoy!

* * *

It was a strange feeling, watching the familiar scenery slip away, disappearing at the edge of the window, a distorted image of colourful swirls. It was the same streets, the same trees, the same faces he'd see every morning on his way to school, but now, from inside the car, everything seemed distant.

Troubled thoughts were distracting him every few seconds. Natori-san hadn't showed up at all. Strangely, the Matoba clan hadn't tried to meddle around, though he was sure that they had heard about the past week's incident. And Nyanko-sensei still hadn't made an appearance. He had to talk to him about that nightmare. It had scared him too much.

Shigeru-san glanced at the rear-view mirror worriedly. Natsume didn't seem to notice. He looked pale and tired, his hair messier than usual with his sandy-blond bangs sticking out and faint shadows hanging under his eyes. His knuckles had turned white from how tight his grip on the school bag's strap had become.

"Are you feeling alright, Takashi?"

He snapped out of the daze and made eye contact with the middle-aged man for a brief second, putting up a reassuring meek smile. "I'm fine. Just a bit nervous."

"If anything happens, you should call. I'll pick you up right away." Shigeru-san's eyes returned to the road.

"Thank you…" Natsume said weakly, staring off into the distance again.

Shigeru-san frowned, sighing silently. It was disheartening to see Natsume be so withdrawn. At least he was not distrusting, like the first few months after he had been taken in from the Fujiwara couple.

"Do you have your cell phone with you?"

Natsume grinned at that. "Yes. I cannot skip the chance to show it off." -he thought of Nishimura's guaranteed face of awe- "You don't have to worry Shigeru-san, I am not going to use it during class of course!" he hurried to clarify.

The man chuckled. "I'm not worried about that at all, Takashi. You're not one to stir up trouble if it can be avoided, _that_ I know."

"WAH!"

Natsume yelped suddenly, as something landed on the windshield with a loud thump that Shigeru-san disregarded as a rock that had been run over by the car.

"What happened?" the car immediately slowed down.

After a moment of careful observation and anxious clutching of his shirt above his thunder- beating heart, Natsume realized that the weird creature clad in traditional greenish clothing, with a large head, two wide eyes, big ears and a… well-tended moustache did not mean any harm. The familiar yokai, ironically called Chobihige by most, waved at him, his face remaining expressionless and creepy as always, clinging tightly onto the windshield.

Natsume's grip on the school bag loosened and his other hand dropped on his lap. Trouble seemed to follow him everywhere, despite Shigeru-san's kind claims. He sighed.

"I'm sorry, it was nothing. I thought a bug was in here, but it turned out to be on the outside of the window." The boy nervously tried to explain his scream.

"I didn't know you were afraid of bugs that much…" Shigeru-san mumbled with a barely contained smirk as the car accelerated again.

"I was taken by surprise… Sorry…" Natsume wished he had come up with another less embarrassing excuse as his cheeks flushed.

The driver's expression turned to that of mischief, something very rare for the usually-serious Shigeru-san. "You know, Touko isn't that good with bugs either. One time, a centipede managed to sneak in the house, but she didn't notice it until it crawled up her calf while she was cooking…The poor creature ended up being drenched in hot soup. Not to mention, I received a call from Touko, yelling that it was an emergency. I drove all the way back home from work just to make sure that the bug was permanently down. "

Natsume giggled guiltily. Poor centipede and Shigeru-san…

"We're here, Takashi." Shigeru said and the car came to a stop.

Natsume glared at the school building that rose stoically from the ground, the fortress of education and –according to the drowsy students that swarmed the yard- endless torment. He exhaled with resolve, unbuckled his belt and stepped out of the vehicle, admittedly a bit excited. Nothing had changed. All of his stress was exterminated somehow.

"Don't hesitate to call, ok?"

Natsume nodded. Shigeru-san smiled encouragingly at him and then drove off.

He shot an awkward quick glance at Chobihige, who had gotten off the car and was wiping the dirt that had accumulated on his sleeves.

"I can't talk right now…sorry" he muttered under his breath, hoping that no one around would notice him talking to thin air.

"Then I shall wait for you, Natsume-dono." the yokai nodded, with a voice as emotionless and undiscerning as ever.

Knowing that there was nothing he could do, Natsume sighed as he rubbed his stiffened shoulder and decided to let things be.

He took the first few steps forwards with determination, striding through the gate and finding himself in the yard, amongst fellow students that were chatting and fussing about casually. For the next ten seconds, everything was fine. But then the awkward stares and whispers started. They were all curious about the kid that had been attacked and falsely proclaimed dead not that long ago.

Whatever confidence he had built up evaporated. Natsume picked up his pace and made his way into the building, still feeling the stares burn into his skin.

"ooooOOOOOOWWWWWOOOOOO!"

Natsume felt himself cringe at Nishimura's cry as the shorter boy came running down the hall towards him. "NATSUME!" he exclaimed as a greeting. He casually draped one arm around Natsume's shoulder and leaned closer, suddenly adopting a secretive expression.

"Oh! Natsume! Good morning!" Kitamoto appeared from behind, smiling toothily.

"Good morning, Nishimura, Kitamoto…"

"Morning, everyone!" Tanuma also turned up, escorted by Taki.

"What's this, Tanuma?" Nishimura narrowed his eyes.

"Eh?"

"Ignore him." Kitamoto shook his head like a disappointed mom before turning to Natsume. "Ready for your reunion with the boring walls of the classroom?" he winked and gave a thumbs up with obvious sarcasm.

Natsume made a face. "When you put it that way…"

"Natsume, did you finish the cookies?"

"Oh, those?" he laughed nervously. "Yes…"

The boys had left only crumbles on the hospital sheets the very day she had brought them. But she didn't know about that of course.

"They were very sweet," Tanuma commented.

"So you tried them too? I tried out a new recipe, so I wasn't sure about how they'd turn out."

"Recipe?" Kitamoto repeated with a sudden interest sparkling in his eyes.

"Oh boy, here we go again…" Nishimura sighed.

Once again, he was reminded of the wonder of having friends. Natsume subconsciously kept his gaze lowered as he followed everyone to their classes, falling into deep silence.

The day ran smoothly in general, despite all the staring and the random people that would come up to him and ask about the incident that almost cost him his life. Good thing his friends were quick to rescue him from those questions by shooing those people off politely.

The teacher, after welcoming Natsume back –it was more of his classmates enthusiastic welcoming to be precise-, announced to the whole class that a new transfer student would be joining them the next day. This, of course, raised some suspicions and speculations. It was uncommon for there to be a transfer student in the middle of the school year.

"A girl! The next transfer student ought to be a girl!" Nishimura had cried out with a spark flickering in his youthful eyes during lunch break.

"Can't you get your mind off that stuff already?" Sasada grumbled, rolling her eyes.

And after that, class continued. It was a relatively good day…

But it stopped being so good the moment Natsume turned to look at the window, confused about the sudden shade that was cast over him, only to flinch at finding Misuzu's giant black horse face stuck on the glass, the ayakashi giving him a piercing, demanding gaze of blue, pupil-less irises and eyes outlined with red. Hot, steamy air escaped Misuzu's nostrils, ruffling the white strands of hair on his forehead. The bells hanging from his left ear tinkled as he blinked once, pleased that he had been noticed.

"Hey, Natsume, are you coming?" Kitamoto asked from the doorway. He and Nishimura already had their bags.

Natsume quickly closed his gaping mouth. "Y-yeah, just a second…" he stuttered and put the pencil case that he had been squeezing with frustration in his school bag.

First Chobihige, then Misuzu… What was going on?

"Hey, can I take a picture with your cell phone, Natsume?" Nishimura asked with a sheepish grin as Natsume approached them.

"But you already took a dozen of them during lunch break…"

"…and I will be counting on you to send me those when you get back home to some good old internet connection."

"It's kind of weird, seeing you around technology," Kitamoto admitted.

"Right?" Nishimura exclaimed and nodded several times.

"You guys… Do I really seem that primitive to you?"

Shigeru-san was waiting by the school gate as promised. The boy greeted him warmly and waved goodbye at his two friends, who went on their own way as usual by foot. Before getting into the car, Natsume calmly glanced at the school once more. Misuzu, who had settled in the middle of the yard, watched him silently, trying to pass on some kind of message. 'This is urgent' was what he was probably trying to relay with his strict, firm, silent gaze.

"Natsume-dono… We need your assistance." Said the expressionless Chobihige, who was standing by the gate at the exact same spot where Natsume had left him that morning. "A strange, powerful one has appeared, in search of their name. Please return it to them so that they may rest and leave us be."

Natsume sighed, perhaps for the hundredth time that day, his shoulders drooping. "My days off have reached a number counted by two hands. It was about time…" he muttered quietly.

Still, for Misuzu to be so riled up…

"Is it possible to bring them to me? I can't go out today."

"I am afraid that is not possible. They cannot wander into areas densely inhabited by humans." Chobihige answered calmly.

"Ok. I'll see what I can do…"

Natsume got in the vehicle, shutting the door loudly behind him.

Shigeru-san smiled at him through the mirror as the boy buckled his belt. "I'm guessing you had a chance to show off your cell phone."

He blushed right away.

.

.

.

The gentle tapping on the window was somehow enough to make him open his eyes. Natsume blinked tiredly, feeling heavy and stiff all over. He rolled on the other side, rubbed the sleep from his eyes and blinked, taking in Hinoe's pale face through the beams of moonlight. Her one eye that was not covered by her lopsided dark-blue hair spared him a playful glance and her purple lips curled upwards into a faint trace of a smile.

Right. Time to return a name.

Natsume slowly forced himself up and trudged to the closet to pick some suitable clothes, then awkwardly shivered as he remembered Hinoe's presence and intense staring from the window, so he decided that he'd simply put on a red jacket over his pyjama instead of putting up a show.

The female ayakashi wasn't alone, Natsume found out when he carefully got down from the roof. The Chukyuu, the bull yokai and the one-eyed yokai that went everywhere together, had arrived at the garden, carrying bottles of sake and cups.

Natsume narrowed his eyes in suspicion.

"Natsume-sama! You look the same again!"

"The same, the same!" the bull yokai chimed in repeat.

"Ah, but never mind that, we're here to escort you!"

"Escort, escort!"

A pucker appeared between his eyebrows. "Why does it seem like you're getting ready for a party?"

Hinoe laughed awkwardly, covering her smile with the long sleeve of her vivid-coloured kimono. "Ignore them. We're late." She said, grabbing his wrist with a strong grip and urging him to follow.

"H-hey… wait…"

He allowed himself to be dragged into the trees, soon panting from the hurry, since it was really hard to keep up with ayakashi. The Chukyuu were running along happily, being noisy as always. The lesser yokai, small and usually hidden, started a commotion as well, clustering on the branches and spying on Natsume's group. Among the rustling of leaves under his hurried steps, he could faintly hear the sound of hearty laughs and traditional music, growing louder as they got closer.

"Hinoe, what is this?" he demanded nervously.

She shot him a glance over her shoulder but kept going. "Don't you want to return a name? The rumours spread, you see…" she trailed off.

Natsume winced from the sudden light as they stopped, having reached a big clearing. He recognized the clear voices of yokai casually. Once he got used to the bright light, which turned out to come out of lanterns that hung from the trees, he couldn't help but look around in awe.

There were hundreds of ayakashi, exchanging bottles of sake, cups, seats and stories with each other, sitting in circles on the special mats and comfy pads. Some were running around and playing, some were having peaceful conversations, some were fighting for trivial matters and some were taking naps after having drunk too much, with rosy cheeks and loud snores. Misuzu was there too, taking over some noticeable space and listening with a serene expression to the surrounding yokai that had gathered to admire his power. The stench of alcohol had permeated the air.

"What's going on?" Natsume cried to Hinoe, bewildered.

She had already decided to get into the mood of the event, smoking tobacco from the long pipe she would always carry around. Hinoe nodded off towards the centre of the clearing, and then blew out the smoke. "Why don't you ask the doll cat? He's over there."

He spotted the round, fluffy form of Nyanko-sensei, sprawled on the mat and clutching a nearly empty bottle of sake between his paws. Natsume exhaled loudly and took decisive strides towards him, fists clenched in frustration. His shadow loomed over the drunken cat dangerously.

Nyanko-sensei cracked an eye open for a brief second, before forming an innocent grin. "Ah, Natsume, this is great sake, isn't it?" he mumbled.

"Nyanko-sensei…!" Natsume grumbled threateningly.

"Go play around. Nobody will try to eat you, hopefully…" the maneki cat started to doze off again.

Natsume's fist, however, which landed harshly on his round head, exterminated his desire for sleep.

"You're a demon," he complained as he rubbed his aching forehead.

"I don't want to hear that from you." Natsume huffed, sitting down next to the fat ayakashi, slouching slightly. "So, what is going on, Sensei? I get called to return a name to a yokai, but instead, I find myself in one of your all-nighters. Don't tell me you didn't come home yesterday because you were busy drinking your whiskers off, you damn cat."

"Be a little grateful! I was actually doing a good job at protecting you! Look at that." Nyanko-sensei pointed with his tiny white paw at what appeared to be an ugly mere clay vase. No ayakashi wandered around it, in fear of what was inside. "I caught that troublesome guy who was after us. Since he caught me off guard the last time and threw a sealing pot at me, I decided to return the favour."

Images of the muscular big yokai with the distinct eyes popped briefly into Natsume's head. He stared at the vase with a scowl of alert.

"Did you bring the Yuujinchou with you?"

"Yes…" Natsume nodded.

"Great. Now here's the plan." Nyanko-sensei rolled onto his legs and stretched his back in a very cat-like way. "That guy's name happens to be in the book as well. Use the Yuujinchou to command him to stop obeying Madoka's orders. Then, I guess you can return his name or command him to belly-dance first. Whatever. I'd go with the last option, sounds more fun."

"Is it going to be safe afterwards?"

"Yes. That guy respected Reiko a bit too much –wrong choice, if you ask me- so I'm sure he won't try to harm her esteemed grandson." He said mockingly.

"Then, I have one last question for you, Nyanko-sensei…"

"Hmm? What?" he turned to glance at him belatedly.

"…why are we attending a drinking party right now?"

"Ah, this is a celebration."

"For what?"

"For you."

"Eh?"

"A celebration, I said. For you."

Silence ensued for a few seconds as the fact sank in, deep into the boy's befuddled mind.

"NYANKO-SENSEI!" cried a horrified Natsume, earning a few inquiring stares from the crowd.

"It's the Chukyuu's fault! They spread the rumours about you gaining power beyond any imagination, so naturally, everyone would want to see the display." Nyanko scoffed with irritation.

"That's why Misuzu was acting strange! And now he's here too? Every single yokai of Yatsuhara…No wait, there are more than usual!" he ranted in panic.

"Well then…" Nyanko-sensei's voice changed to his deeper one as he changed into his grandiose white form, instantly silencing everyone and capturing the crowd's attention. "Go ahead, Natsume"

Even the music stopped playing as all eyes, big and small, turned to the fragile-looking human who stood between the inugami's front feet, stunned. Impatient whispers of admiration started to reap the sea of ayakashi. Natsume spotted Hinoe, waving at him from afar encouragingly, next to Misuzu who blinked in acknowledgement, his square horse teeth showing in excitement.

Natsume drew a shaky breath and carefully took the Yuujinchou out of his fanny pack. Madara tensed a little beside him, but there was no attempt at snatching the book. Good. That meant the yokai around them recognized the power of Reiko's grandson.

The inugami raised his white tail and, with one powerful strike, shattered the vase into millions of pieces. Dense black smoke popped out and swirled into an orb, slowly materializing into the green creature. Iwaho's red eyes darted around with fear, as he took in his surroundings. Finally, his gaze landed on the hay-blond boy in front of him and the book he was holding.

"You who would protect me. Show me your name."

Iwaho's eyes widened as the pages of the Yuujinchou, all adorned with messy ink characters, flipped by themselves until a certain page stood awkwardly up. He recognized his own scribbling on the paper, knowing that it was his name.

Natsume's orange tint eyes met the frightened yokai's red ones. "I command you to cease being Madoka's servant, Iwaho."

The green ayakashi froze, an indiscernible expression. The crowd watched silently, captivated.

"Natsume." Madara whispered, having leaned closer to the boy's ear. "Take it off. You have to satisfy the crowd.

He turned to look at the inugami, startled and unsure.

"It would be bad if they think that this is all a lie. Some of them are not from Yatsuhara, so they don't hold any real respect for you. Don't try their patience." Nyanko-sensei advised softly. The warmth of his breath went away from the boy's neck as the great ayakashi raised his head again.

Natsume swallowed hard and with a trembling hand, reached for the pendant, hidden from view by his jacket. Why was he worrying? Everything would be fine. He would put it back on right after everything was done.

Gasps and whispers spread once again, this time like fire among the ayakashi. They watched with amazement as the human boy's hair turned silver-white, ruffled by a mysterious breeze that carried a sweet scent of flowers all over the clearing and made the leaves of bushes and trees rustle, even whisking the grass. Such a soothing scent it was, that all yokai went silent and still as they enjoyed it. When he opened his eyes, they were a mystical emerald, unlike the colour of any human's, with cat-like pupils, instead of reflecting light, seemingly producing a faint green glow.

Natsume gently ripped the standing page from the Yuujinchou and placed it between his lips. The paper was old and rough, from a time when pages were made a little bit sturdier.

' _I return your name, Iwaho.'_

.

" _Your name is Iwaho then," Reiko said, looking at the scribbling with a frown._

" _Yes, Reiko-sama!" the green yokai bowed down._

 _She giggled. "Hey, do me a little favour Iwaho. See that gloomy guy over there?" Reiko pointed over to a distant figure._

 _Iwaho squinted, barely making out the shape of a reddish-brown wolf-like creature that had lodged itself on top of a tree on the upper side of the hill._

" _I want you to do whatever he asks you to do"_

 _Iwaho was taken by surprise. "May I ask why, Reiko-sama?"_

" _I'm curious to see what he will ask for"_

 _Iwaho titled his large green head but said nothing. He ventured up the hill, to the place where the ayakashi Reiko had pointed at was. He looked up at the tree, admiring the size of the ferocious inugami. The auburn yokai turned to look at him with an arrogant scoff._

" _Reiko Natsume-sama has sent me."_

 _"You don't say." The inugami barked angrily. "I cannot understand that filthy female."_

 _"She told me to do whatever you ask me to do"_

" _Is that so? Then I want you to go back and tell her that if she dares set foot on this hill again I won't hesitate to rip her to shreds. Humans are hated here."_

 _And so he did._

" _He actually said that? I thought he would command you to come after me with killing intent or something." Reiko laughed heartedly. "But then I guess, he could just come down here and do that any moment"_

" _What shall I do for you, Reiko-sama?" Iwaho kneeled down with respect._

" _Hmm… I know. I want you to follow his orders for now, Iwaho. I'm curious to see what else he has to say. Oh, I got to go, it's getting late."_

" _Reiko-sama…"_

 _The green yokai watched her go and titled his head in confusion. He admired his new Master, and the fact that he couldn't really understand her was what he liked the most._

.

"Thank you very much, Reiko's grandson." Iwaho kneeled down and bowed, his head touching the ground. "You have freed me. I am eternally grateful. How can I repay your kindness?"

Natsume smiled softly. "Please raise your head, Iwaho. You owe me nothing." He said as he put the pendant of the blue dragon scale back on. The breeze stopped and his hair and eyes regained their normal colour.

The crowd couldn't hold it in anymore and finally erupted with jubilant cries and cheering. Loud celebratory music started playing as the party continued where it had left off, with sake-drinking and storytelling. Misuzu was in particularly uplifting spirits, but really, seeing his horse grin was a bit terrifying. The Chukyuu were the most excited of all, already having gulped down two bottles each.

"Good job, Natsume! That was a splendid performance." Hinoe patted the boy's shoulder. Natsume regretted turning to look at her, as a giant cloud of smoke crashed into his face.

"Sensei… can we go home now?" he glanced at the white inugami that still stood by his side.

"I guess so. I'm a bit tired from yesterday's all-nighter." Madara said and, in a puff, transformed back to the round fat cat and started walking.

Natsume got up to follow him. "So you did go to drink yesterday."

Nyanko-sensei flinched. "I was gathering information about our pursuer."

"No he wasn't." Hinoe whispered reassuringly.

Natsume snickered. "Well, you did a good job, Sensei. Maybe I'll ask Touko-san for some fried-shrimp."

Iwaho stood there, on the patch of grass, watching as the figure of the boy and his cat blended in with the trees. He wouldn't have to go back anymore. He was free.

"You know, you can stay here as long as you don't cause any trouble," Hinoe told him and offered her cup which was filled with the transparent liquid every ayakashi adored. "Want some?"

Iwaho stared at the cup he was being offered, then back at the willowy female yokai. "Thank you very much." He said as he carefully took it from her hands.

.

.

.

Natsume sprang up. He had been fighting harshly with his blanket, judging by how tangled up he was. Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead. He breathed in and out frantically. Nyanko-sensei said nothing, allowing the boy to hold him tightly close to his stampeding heart. But the cat's clever eyes were wide awake.

"Th-there was blood everywhere. The same dream all over again." Natsume muttered when he finally caught his breath. His hand slid down Nyanko's back repeatedly and that seemed to calm him down a bit.

"Describe it to me." The cat requested.

"I don't want to think about it right now. I just want to sleep, Sensei… I'm tired." Natsume plummeted back onto his futon, with one arm over his eyes, defeated.

Nyanko-sensei snuggled close to him. "Then sleep already. I'll be here to wake you up if you start dreaming again." He promised.

"Thank you, Nyanko-sensei…"

"…how troublesome…"

.

.

.

Natsume yawned tiredly as he set his things down next to his desk.

"Couldn't sleep?" Nishimura asked, sitting backwards on his chair and rocking himself back and forth with boredom.

"Mmm" he groaned, ready to doze off at any second as he sat down on his chair and lied face-flat on the smooth surface of his desk with a loud thump.

"Whatever am I going to do with you? You never sleep enough. Makes me wonder if you're hiding something."

"Like what?"

"Oh, I know exactly what. Your troubles with love. I'm going to discover your secrets, whether you like it or not."

Natsume sighed.

As if on cue to purposely spite them, the bell rang. The students started to take their seats one after another.

"Hey, Natsume. Need I remind you that we're going to have a new transfer student today?"

"Oh. I forgot." He admitted.

"Come on, you could do with some more excitement."

"And you could do with a bit less." Sasada scolded, suddenly appearing next to them.

Nishimura pouted.

At last, everyone was in their designated seats and there was a strange silence, like the calm before a storm.

The teacher entered five minutes later than usual, accompanied by the transfer student. Natsume's classmates started a barely audible commotion, but it was enough to draw his attention from the puffy white clouds that roamed the sky outside. He could sense Nishimura's telepathic cry of victory. The new one was indeed a girl.

She had glossy ebony-black hair that plunged over her shoulders and back like a waterfall of silk, reaching her waist. Her blossom soft lips formed a thin line as her dark black eyes, with velvety eyelashes, darted methodically across the curious faces of the students. When they met Natsume's indifferent golden-brown ones, they remained locked onto him for an uncomfortably long time, as if they were assessing him from toe to hair. Natsume felt very relieved when she finally stopped staring.

"…Ok, why don't you introduce yourself?" the teacher suggested.

The girl nodded and turned to the class. With a silvery voice, she said: "Nice to meet you. My name is Matoba Kaiyo."

Now that, Natsume hadn't expected from the Matoba clan at all.

* * *

dun-dun-dun!

I cannot resist. This is a must cliffhanger. I'm so terribly sorry.

Thank you very much for sticking with this story despite the long time it takes to update and the constant cliffhangers. I want you to know that I read every review and treasure them a lot. You are all being very supportive. So thank you!

Till the next chapter!


	8. Foreign Memories

Warning, this chapter is a bit dark. Get ready for some flashbacks.

I have been rewriting the chapter again and again, and now I must have at least a 'five thousand words' content that is a mix of several undeveloped ideas and different plot-turns dumped in a word document titled 'unfinished parts'. Maybe I will use some content from there in the chapters that are to come so that the hours I spent working on all those scratched ideas have some worth after all.

Once again, if any of you notice any inconsistencies, point them out and I will try to patch things up (that's what I've been doing anyway, just adding stuff and taking stuff out from the plot-cupcake recipe, which may end up with cherries on top one day and then the next, it will have caramel syrup). Ok, I'm just repeating myself here.

Thanks for your patience everybody! Here's the new chapter.

* * *

Touko-san and Shigeru-san woke up that night by a series of shrill, hoarse cries that made their blood freeze in their veins. Those were the screams of someone who wasn't minding his throat. And they belonged to their foster son.

"Takashi-kun!" Touko-san cried in the dark of her and her husband's bedroom. Wi-*-th a wild glint in her eyes, she scrambled over to the door, slammed it open, and, with one hand groping the wall for guidance, ran towards Natsume's room. She felt her nightgown slam on her calfs and the footsteps of her bare feet echoed loudly against the wooden floor boards, urging her to hurry. Shigeru-san followed, armed with a clothes hanger, looking similarly deranged.

The two adults entered the boy's room without any hesitation, ready to face whoever was attacking him. Even a clothes hanger was bound to do some damage.

But there was only Natsume, tangled with the sheets like a fish in the net, trying to fight with the blanket. He groaned through gritted teeth, almost baring them like a wild animal, and didn't turn to face Touko-san and Shigeru-san who had made so much noise on their way there. His bangs were stuck on his sweat-drenched forehead, his eyes firmly shut. The maneki-cat stood next to him at a loss, hissing with frustration.

Natsume screamed again. Touko-san whimpered. Shigeru-san allowed his shaking hand to let the clothes hanger drop on the floor.

The panicked woman rushed to the boy's side, kneeling down and putting his head on her lap. She started hushing and touching his face tenderly, like a wandering butterfly, trying to calm him down. He was paler, paler than ever, but his skin was hot from a boiling fever. Shigeru-san appeared next to her, his wide eyes searching for whatever was causing Natsume pain.

"Takashi-kun, wake up dear, it's only a dream!" Touko-san shouted. She squeezed his cheeks. "Takashi-kun!"

A moon-white, frail arm seized Touko-san's, a trembling yet firm hold. She saw his eyes peer into hers, wide and awake, a stormy sea of honey.

"It was only a dream. You're safe." She repeated, trying to control her sentence's urge to crack and break into pieces of a puzzle she would not have the time to solve.

He blinked several times. Finally recognizing the two worried faces above him, Natsume allowed himself to be reassured, that this was reality, and not what he had witnessed, so he slowly let go of Touko-san's hand.

Just like all other times, there had been fire. But this time, it was a different one.

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _The smoke is thick and burns both eyes and nose like acid. There is no denying it anymore; the mansion is going to burn down for good. All the velvety and expensive garments, sheets and wardrobes, all the beautiful porcelain vases and colourful fans, all the tatami-covered floors, thin walls and slide doors, all the pillars and beams that support the roof, even the carved shachihoko tiger-fish on top._

 _The halls, they're not deserted. There are people running up and down, trying to salvage whatever they can lay their hands on, memories they could hold on to. There are people that are praying in corners, and people that head directly towards the exit with short breaths and a hurry for their lives. And then, there are people that laugh and reap the heads of the defenceless with their swords, soaring the corridors and rooms like demons, wearing festive grins dipped into innocent crimson._

 _The Mistress. Oh, how much my master loves her. His only daughter, a precious jewel, the pride of the household. Before being wedded, her hair was said to never have been trimmed, her feet to be soft like daisies, her lips to taste like fruit._

 _Now she's floating in a bloody-red bath-tub, forever staring at the ceiling with lifeless, greyed eyes._

 _Her child. I must save her child. The muffled baby cries… it's the next room._

 _But when I get there, the flames have already slithered halfway up the wall, spreading their unbearable heat. The baby is there, on the smoking wooden floorboards, miraculously untouched by the fire. But something's wrong…_

 _Its beautiful eyes. The unusual, dark honey colour they possess was proclaimed by the Mistress to be good luck when the child came into this world. She said they reminded her of the summer when the sun would burn bright and orange in the sky for hours, and thus picked out a fitting name for our little summer-eyed new member: Natsume._

 _The baby's tears are red._

 _With a fear that it might break, my fingers gently close around its tiny body. My paw will be its crib for a while. I have to take the Mistress's child away from all of this, somewhere it will receive the help it needs._

 _Its beautiful eyes were stolen by the scoundrels. They took away the baby's sight and fled, without any shame. They have been devoured by the hatred of war._

 _My claws will slash the enemy's backs. My teeth will dig into their flesh. It is the first time humans have angered me so much. It is the first time I will take a human life. There's no room for regrets. They've taken too much from me, including my mercy._

 _I shall fulfil my role as my Master's inugami, just like my brothers and sisters._

 _Tonight, I too will shed hostile blood._

 _._

 _._

 _._

"Would you like one of us to sleep next to you?"

Natsume was surprised by the suggestion but quickly shook his head. His temperature had dropped, and he was wearing his usual mild expression. It was amazing how fast he had recovered in those few minutes, while Shigeru-san and Touko-san were still drawing short breaths and pacing around the room in the mood of panic.

"It's nothing to worry about. It was only a nightmare."

"You were acting out in your sleep," Touko-san added with a concerned scowl.

"What was the dream about, Takashi?" Shigeru-san asked, picking up the clothes hanger from the floor.

Natsume looked down at the tangled sheets and blankets. "I was… wrestling a carp… I think."

"A carp?"

Nyanko-sensei made a noise that sounded like a regular cat sneeze, but Natsume knew it was a barely contained laugh. He felt really bad for choosing 'wrestling a carp' instead of something actually scary. But still, he didn't want to worry them.

"…I think…" he repeated. "I don't quite remember what it was about."

A heavy hand landed on Natsume's shoulder, steady and certain.

"Takashi."

Shigeru-san peered into his eyes. He wasn't wearing his glasses, and his hair was still flying all over from sleep. Yet he was the most serious Natsume had ever seen him, suddenly looking a bit older, wrinkles on the verge of deepening and popping out.

"You know you can tell us what's on your mind. We'll do our best to understand, so there's nothing to be embarrassed about."

Natsume broke the stare. He glanced at his hands that rested on his lap. Sweat had crawled in the lines of his palms. His fingers were still trembling, just enough to go unnoticed.

 _He had lied._

"Maybe we should see an expert about this as soon as possible. Sleepwalking can be dangerous. " Shigeru-san continued. He wanted to make sure that Takashi would understand and accept their help because he really needed to start worrying more about himself than trying not to be 'a burden' to others.

"Have there ever been any incidents like this, Takashi-kun? Maybe when you were little?" Touko-san said. She didn't like how she didn't know little details like that, important pieces of Takashi-kun's life that were lost in memories long since erased by the people who had passed him on to other hands without having ever really cared.

"I'm sorry."

Natsume's apology cut into the air like a dagger, spreading silence in its wake.

"I'm sorry." He repeated, not daring to raise his eyes, not brave enough to meet theirs. "I wasn't being honest. The dream was not about a carp or anything of the sort."

The Fujiwara couple glared, baffled, eyebrows knitted, mouths hanging without words. They waited. Nyanko-sensei's ears stood perfectly still.

"It was about a fire. I was in a house and it was burning down."

That was about all that he was ready to share.

Maybe, if he hadn't been so scared at the moment, he would have stayed silent, and let the matter be forgotten. But he had given in the need to speak. And for now, even that little bit felt enough, as if someone had plucked out a few needles that had been stuck on his back for ages.

Shigeru-san was the first to nod. "A fire then." He wiped the blurriness from his eyes with the back of his pyjama sleeve, inhaling deeply, and glanced at his wife.

Natsume looked up. They didn't seem angry at all. Unfortunately, only more worried.

He wasn't pressed about the details, something Natsume was grateful for. Touko-san asked again if he would like some company throughout the night, and suggested Takashi-kun drank some tea, even though it was in the middle of the night, because tea is calming for the nerves you see. Shigeru-san mumbled about the dangers of sleepwalking and wondered if Takashi had gotten up and walked around in his sleep during his earlier childhood.

After having his temperature checked and refusing the tempting offer of not going to school tomorrow, Natsume was, quite reluctantly, allowed to continue his sleep. He tried to appear drowsy as the two adults trudged towards their room.

When the sound of their footsteps finally died down, Nyanko-sensei spoke.

"If I remember correctly, the name of an ayakashi that can eat dreams should be included in the Yuujinchou."

Natsume crawled on his elbows to reach his desk and managed to grab his cell phone. The screen showered the room with a bright blue. He squinted. It was four twenty-six.

"Sensei, these dreams…" Natsume put the cell phone back on the desk and everything went dark again. "They're memories."

The fact cat didn't turn to face him. "Yes." He agreed, after a long pause. "You've already guessed that they belong to my brother, Madoka."

Natsume could make out Nyanko-sensei's back, and even under what poor lighting the moonlight could offer, the two colours, orange and grey, seemed to clash for possession of his fur.

"A mansion was under attack. He found a baby…"

"…Natsume." He said, a barely audible whisper.

"Nyanko-sensei, could that be-"

"No. Natsume was blind and died without ever having seen the world. Besides, Ubagabi mentioned that the first of the Natsume clan was a man. The Natsume I speak of was a woman. The name is just a coincidence."

"Sometimes, yokai have trouble recognizing people's gender. You said so yourself."

"Even so. She never met with any dragon and got eyes from it like Christmas gifts. She never gave birth to any children. Natsume died blind, young and suddenly."

Nyanko-sensei sounded old and tired. The same thought had tortured him for a long time, but logic had won the battle. Natsume could sense his resolve. The cat was certain.

"Why does Madoka hate humans so much? Why did he place that curse on Reiko? If I knew the reason…" He twisted the fabric of his shirt, above the scars. "Maybe there is a way to help him. To show him that he's wrong."

"Madoka has seen too much to be convinced otherwise. I know because I've seen it too. But he's different… He always had trouble accepting the nature of humans. Now that he has, he can only see their faults. He's forgotten about the good."

Finally, Nyanko-sensei's head turned towards him. His eyes were gleaming with an otherworldly yellow glow, and in that moment, it was purely Madara the inugami who spoke. "Your grandmother, Reiko, reminded me of the happier times and gave me hope that there can be more. And for that, I am grateful."

.

.

.

Matoba Kaiyo was, as expected but still, unfortunately, at school again. Natsume couldn't help but feel a bit sour towards her. Her seat was two desks away on his right, and whenever he would rest his head on his folded arms in front of him, he could catch her staring. She would then pretend to fidget with her pencil case or doodle on her notebook. For someone with the name Matoba, she was not very good at going unnoticed.

There. Natsume saw her pitch-black eyes, clearly locked on him. She quickly averted her gaze and suddenly found interest in the cover of her history book, which, since the bell hadn't rung yet, remained closed, big and repulsing on her desk.

Nishimura, who was leaning backwards with his chair and swaying dangerously every now and then, nudged Natsume with his elbow. "Did you see that? She looked at me again." He whispered with excitement.

As if having sensed the sudden radiation of happiness from that particular corner of the classroom, Sasada, who sat in front of Matoba Kaiyo, turned and narrowed her eyes at him.

"…she looked at me again…" Nishimura winced and let the front legs of his chair drop on the floor silently.

A trace of a smile appeared on Natsume's lips, which Nishimura caught. "What are you all smug about?"

"Nothing." The smile got bigger.

"Oh, I get it." Nishimura grinned rather slyly. "You're jealous." He said and nudged him with his elbow again.

"Not a chance." Natsume was quick to crush his weird romance dreams.

"You've got to admit it though; Matoba-san is very pretty."

An image of an innocently chuckling Matoba Seiji, waving a fan, popped into Natsume's mind, titled 'very pretty. He winced internally. That was wrong. He turned and looked at the female Matoba-san this time. Once more, she withdrew her curious ebony eyes, put a stray black strand of hair back behind her ear and pretended to examine it. "I guess so…" he mumbled and, facing the window, let his head rest on his folded arms again.

"Stayed up all night again?" Nishimura started swinging back and forth with his chair again.

"Hm…" Natsume let the drowsiness that had been tugging at his eyelids slowly take over.

"You need to sleep more you know."

"Hm…" he closed his eyes.

"If you don't wake up when the bell rings, I'll pinch you." Nishimura rolled his eyes with a sigh of defeat.

"Hm…" Natsume, despite being ready to doze off, smiled a little. "Thanks."

.

.

.

" _What did Grandfather say?"_

" _He said no."_

" _As expected."_

" _You're still going to ask me to do it."_

" _Come on, Madoka, don't be a chicken."_

 _Natsume is swaying back and forth on her heels again. She always does that when she gets excited._

" _My Master instructed me to take care of you. And that's what I am going to."_

 _She leans dangerously forward. I am there to catch her on time, however. She puts her little arms around my head and rakes her fingers through my fur. She's smiling mischievously. "Well, since it's your responsibility, shouldn't you show some consideration for my needs? I need this. I need to go outside."_

 _I stare at the white cloth that's covering her eyes, wrapped around her head like a blindfold, but to prevent others from seeing. She has such a lovely face. If she still had her eyes to this day, they would certainly match her glossy wheat-coloured hair, which has been allowed to grow all the way down to her waist. It's tickling my nose, but it would be a disgrace to sneeze on her._

" _Please, Madoka."_

 _I blink slowly. "If Madara sees us, he will certainly tell the Master."_

" _Just call him a snitch and he will not say a thing. He's very easy to tick off."_

 _I blow some hot air on to her, but she doesn't budge. It's a lost battle, she's stubborn as a mule. "Only for a few minutes."_

 _Natsume's face lights up with excitement immediately. She throws her hands up and twirls around, laughing. I think any of my regrets has just been purged by the brightness…_

 _I wish she could see all those things she loves to hear. The people around her, the expressions they wear, their clothes, the goods they sell, the ones they buy… But she never complains. She's always fascinated by the smell of delicious snacks, the silky touch of clothes, the endless arguments, bargains and hurried chats that create the buzz of the market._

 _We're there._

 _It's a good thing that the street is wide enough. There are not many people left at this late hour, so it's possible for me to walk by Natsume's side. It would be bad if someone were to crash on an invisible wall of fur._

 _Natsume doesn't seem to be bothered by this. I've told her countless of times not to, but she's casually petting my shoulder as we walk past curious customers that send her weird glances._

" _Something smells really good!" she exclaims and stops in her track. Her chin turns to the direction of the food-stand, not that far away, her nose moving around like a dog's. "Madoka, buy some of whatever it is!" she orders._

" _I cannot make exchanges with humans. Even if I wanted to, they don't know I'm here."_

 _Natsume's hand gets a bit rougher with my fur. "Oh, right… well, that leaves me no choice."_

 _Before I can say anything, the silly child is running towards the stand. Miraculously, she doesn't stumble on a fallen vegetable that gets between her legs and a woman avoids bumping into her at the last second._

 _The man at the stand wipes his hands on a dirty cloth and glares at her with an impatient scowl. He crosses his arms and waits while Natsume sniffs around. He waits a bit more, his eyebrow twitches, and he finally decides to cough a little. "Can I help you?"_

 _Natsume's mouth forms an 'o' of surprise, only for a moment, then she puts on a polite and blissful grin to greet him. "Yes, I'd like to buy some." She announces and in the pause that follows, pulls out an old, worn-out pouch and empties some if its content on her palm. She frowns, puzzled by a problem she naively had forgotten about. "Um… How much would that be?" Natsume hesitantly asks._

 _The man's eyes narrow. He stares at the blindfold, then reaches out towards her hands. "Here, let me help you… that would be only one hundred…"_

 _The sneaky idiot. He's snatched at least five hundred from her._

" _He's trying to steal from you. He took more." I whisper in her ear._

 _Natsume's kind expression wavers. She seems… hurt. She's angry._

" _Give it back." She demands sharply._

" _What are you talking about?"_

" _Give it back," Natsume repeats, but her confidence is fake. "I know you took it."_

 _All I have to do is let my tail brush the man's back. That little action is enough to make him flinch. Startled, he looks up at Natsume, instantly connecting the ominous feeling with her anger. Oh, how fun it is to mess with humans. It's so easy to scare them._

" _Please forgive me." He mumbles and hastily shoves the money along with the warm food into Natsume's arms._

 _She gives him a beaming smile. "Thank you very much, Mister!"_

 _The rest of the walk, although she still asks loads of questions and wanders off like she always does, she is somewhat detached. I can tell that the incident has affected her mood greatly. Living locked in the mansion, she has only dealt with people that care for her, never learning how to protect herself from those with evil intent._

" _It's time to return."_

 _She nods, falling completely silent as she climbs on my back._

 _We haven't been out for long. Nobody should have noticed our absence._

 _Yet as we get closer to the mansion, I can hear shouting._

" _What's going on?" Natsume asks, clinging onto me._

 _I don't know either._

 _I've spotted them, my siblings, sitting in a circle around a large crowd that has assembled in the garden, which I soon recognize to be all our servants. Some have fallen to their knees, as if to beg, most are cowering in fear. There is anger, bellows. The Master stands by Madara's side. His eyes have been cold ever since that dreadful fire, fourteen years ago. With those frozen eyes, he's calmly observing the panicked servants, like a hungry but patient viper, waiting for its prey to come closer._

 _I land sloppily next to the Master and Natsume hurriedly hops off. She takes a few steps forward, trying to assess the situation from what she can hear, but it's impossible to understand._

" _Silence." The Master's harsh voice echoes loud and clear, bewitching the crowd. They turn to stare at him with wide eyes._

" _Grandfather-"_

" _I will deal with you later." He cut her off and took a deep breath._

" _You must already know why I have called all of you here. A large amount of money went missing today. We've had no guests. My familiars say there have been no strange scents. The one who stole it is among you."_

 _Madara is trying to imitate our Master's stern look, acting all calm and icy. He's always been the favourite one, the strong and mighty, never backing off, never hesitating._

" _If the thief confesses right now, I will spare their life. If nobody comes front, I will start feeding you to the inugami, one by one, until the thief confesses."_

 _Panic spreads again like fire in a pine forest. Those who have not yet prayed fall to their knees. They stare at each other with hate and suspicion, considering everyone around them to be an enemy. Fights break out and accusations on a whim make the tension grow. Madara bares his teeth at them and his tail whips the air. My siblings follow his lead, intimidating the crowd._

 _Yet no one speaks up._

" _Well then." The Master's tongue clicks against his teeth with displeasure. His expression hardens. "Madara."_

 _The servants yowl like desperate animals as the white inugami snarls threateningly and takes a step towards the crowd._

 _Natsume's face is pale. She looks so small and fragile, standing there like a lost lamb. But… why is her trembling hand slowly rising? It can't be. She wouldn't…_

" _I-I am… It's…" she stutters a whisper, takes a deep breath as if to shout. "Grandfather! The one who stole the money is-"_

" _I did it! I stole the money! Please, my Lord, have mercy! I beg you!"_

 _All eyes turn to the shaking figure that has just confessed. It's only a boy, younger than Natsume herself. He's sobbing uncontrollably, curled into a tiny ball on the ground, face stuck down. He's begging for his life._

 _Natsume's frail arm drops back on her side and she frowns with confusion._

" _Grandfather, that's not true! I am the one who did it! I took the money!"_

 _That's right. The pouch. I should have known._

 _The Master's icy gaze locks on her. "Lying to protect a thief. You disappoint me."_

" _I'm not lying!" she insists furiously, hair dangling in front of the blindfold._

 _Two servants grab the boy and pull him up to his knees. They search him and one of them finds a pouch hidden under his clothes. He empties it on the grass. It's a lot of money. Everyone's whispering, relieved. The boy also didn't confess his crime when he had the chance. He's finished._

 _The Master's eyes fall on me. He smiles, ever so coldly, and I know that I am going to be punished for allowing Natsume to step foot out of the mansion._

" _Madoka. Kill him."_

" _Please, my Lord! Please have mercy! I needed the money for my family! Please have mercy!" the little boy cries out through his tears._

" _Grandfather, no!"_

" _STAY OUT OF THIS!"_

 _For a brief second, I think I'm feeling hate towards my Master._

" _Master… I…"_

" _You live to serve me. If you won't do as I say, I will have to get rid of you." he threatens._

 _I can't kill… I haven't killed since that fire. I promised myself that I wouldn't. This is unreasonable. The boy is still so young._

" _Allow me to do it, Master." another voice intervenes, calm and sweet._

 _I glance at Madara's yellow eyes. He's looking at me with sadness, fully aware of my weakness. But the Master refuses my brother's offer with a scoff and a dismissive gesture._

" _No. You will escort my Granddaughter to her room. You four-" He points randomly at some servants "-make sure she stays there."_

 _This time, I won't be able to hide behind Madara's shadow._

 _The little boy's crying turns into piercing screams as I approach him. He's really small. So small that his clothes loosely hang from him like sails from a ship. Does he really deserve to die?_

 _The Master senses my hesitation. He takes out a slip of paper. I know exactly what it is. He taps on the characters inscribed on it in messy ink and it feels as though someone is playing with my thread of life, ready to cut it with scissors._

 _All I have to do is bite the boy's head off. Then my name will go back to safety._

 _. . . . ._

 _Natsume left._

 _She went away a week after the incident with the thief. We searched everywhere for her, but her scent was long gone. It's been five days now._

 _The letter she left behind doesn't say much, other than how much she resents all of us. She said she hates being cared for by servants who do it for money. She said she hates her Grandfather for being so cruel. She said she hates the people of this town. And she also said that she hates me because I am a coward and a killer._

 _I don't understand why… why didn't you say anything to me, Natsume? Do you really hate me that much? Even though I was there for you since the moment of your birth? Does that mean nothing to you at all?_

 _If you want to hate me, then so be it. I will hate you back._

 _As I and my siblings enter the room, the doors lock behind us. We've been called countless of times here, but the doors were never locked behind us._

 _I look around at the faces of all the servants that have surrounded us. They're expressionless as far as I can tell, but I can sense their bloodlust. They're waiting for something bad to happen. Their eyes are gleaming with excitement. My siblings seem to be feeling equally uneasy._

 _Then my nose finally picks it up…A familiar scent, faintly detectable. It's Natsume's._

" _So Madara hasn't shown up, huh…" the Master trails off. He has our names in his old, wrinkly hands and he's shuffling them as if they are toys. Somehow, a spark has appeared in his long-frozen eyes. But it's a dangerous, burning madness that we can see. "Well then, well then…"_

 _Natsume came back after all. She realized her mistake and came back._

" _You've served me for a very long time. Without you, I wouldn't have reached this point. You've saved me countless of times in battle."_

 _What is this sudden expression gratitude? He's never thanked us for anything. Not since his wife, his daughter and his two sons perished during the war. Has Natsume's return made him happy again? Perhaps he will finally smile…_

 _He holds something up for us to see… it's hair. Natsume's long, glossy hair. Why-?_

" _Natsume is dead. Murdered, quite brutally I suppose."_

 _Dead?_

 _Natsume… dead?_

" _Thank you for your services. I shall now dispose of you."_

 _He's grinning with actual emotion, for the first time in so many years. He's mad._

 _The bastard killed her. He killed her, I am sure of it._

 _Beside me, my sister makes a very disturbing, grumbling sound. Her red eyes, same as mine, widen, ready to bulge out. Time seems to stop. She collapses on the floor. A gaping hole caused by a brilliant blue fire over her heart slowly devours the rest of her. In just a second, she burned away. Nothing remains._

 _The paper with her name on has been ripped to shreds by our Master._

 _My brother follows. Then my other simbling, and then the other one. They're all being wiped out of existence by the crazy man. He keeps tearing the papers, laughing as if everything is a joke. The laugh of a lunatic..._

 _I have to stop him. I have to kill him._

 _It takes one nimble leap and my fangs sink into his throat. Blood soaks the little pieces of paper that lie on his lap. His fingers release the last name, safe and intact. The others have all been destroyed._

 _He never expected it. Me, the weak one, the soft one, to attack him so fast, without any hesitation._

 _I have no regrets. In fact, I want more. I want him to suffer more. But he's already dead. There's nothing for me to take from him. The servants. I want them to disappear. I can't stand their greedy gazes._

 _I will make everything disappear. Because Natsume is dead. Because this world is cruel. It's all because humans exist._

 _And so, my mind goes blank._

 _..._

 _At some point, a fire broke out it seems._

 _Madara… Is that him? He's ok… I don't know how, but he's ok. He lands in front of me. He's panting heavily, having flown at full speed to get here fast. He says he saw smoke. He looks around. There's nothing to see. He asks where the others are. There's nothing to see._

 _The ground below is stained with crimson ashes._

 _Fire… a giant bright yellow monster, merciless and unstoppable… a thousand orange snakes, baring their fangs and hissing threateningly as they devour everything tangible around them, a feast with no manners. All is melting… Melting away, crumbling…._

 _Destruction echoes hollowly. Nothing is left. Only the gluttonous fire._

 _This is not enough. We will never be sated…_

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.

.

Nishimura stopped rolling his eraser on his desk and, like his classmates sighed. The bell's annoying ringing stopped. He glanced over his shoulder. Natsume was still sleeping, it seemed. How he had even managed to actually fall asleep in five minutes was a mystery.

"Wakey wakey, Natsume." he said teasingly and poked Natsume's cheek. His friend shifted a bit but didn't show any signs of having heard him. "Come on, it's time for class. I know it sucks, but you have to face it like a man!" Nishimura encouraged him.

"..n…why…"

"Huh?" Nishimura leaned closer, trying to make out what the mumbling was about. "Natsume?"

"…he did it…"

"Did what? Are you dreaming?" Nishimura nudged him again, starting to lose his patience.

Natsume groaned. Then louder.

"Natsume?" now seriously worried, the boy grabbed his friend's shoulder and shook him violently. "Natsume!"

Nishimura winced as his hand was flung back inexplicably. A strong gust of wind swept through the classroom and a screaming Natsume sprang up, finally awake, but his voice was covered by the shrill noise of shattering glass. All the windows of the classroom broke into thousands of sharp, glimmering fragments. Natsume's eyes were an unearthly green that went away as soon as he blinked, something that hopefully nobody had noticed.

With his heart and lungs racing, he looked around, trying to get rid of the disorientation.

His classmates had all turned to look at him, with dumbfound, terrified expressions. Nishimura was rubbing his aching wrist, speechlessly staring as well.

"T-Talk about a coincidence, huh?" Nishimura said after a while with an uncertain, forced grin.

"I was surprised." Sasada agreed. She took off her glasses, whose lenses lay fractured beyond repair on her desk. "I wonder what caused it. Maybe a high-pitched sound that we can't hear?"

The rest of the students nodded.

"That must be it…"

"That freaked me out…"

"We need new windows…"

* * *

Ok, that must have felt a bit like a Naruto filler episode. At least two-thirds of the chapter was Madoka's flashbacks. But it was important.

Next chapter will be… brighter. This one was a bit dark for me. I don't know, I'm just worrying that I may be straying from the theme.

I have to inform you that the wait for the next chapter will probably be long, just like this one. Because, even though it's summer, I have classes every morning and tons of work for home (don't even ask). It's Friday today, so I had enough time to spare to finish this.

I wish you all the best for what's left of August. Enjoy it for me too!

Oh, and once again, I feel obliged to say this; **Thank you for your patience, and all of your wonderful, encouraging reviews!**


	9. Matoba Kaiyo's issue

Here we go!

My thanks at the end of the chapter, I bet you don't want to be stalled.

P. S. Do you think I should name the chapters?

* * *

"But what a coincidence, really! Almost like a movie! I wish something cool like that would happen to me too… Do you think I would be popular with the girls then? I want a girlfriend…" Nishimura kept on bubbling, oblivious to the unease his friend was feeling. "Hey, isn't that Tanuma?"

Natsume recognized Tanuma's face in the crowd, worry etched into his serious scowl. He had obviously heard about the incident.

"Nishimura…" Natsume stopped dragging his feet across the smooth floor. "I am going to the bathroom for a bit."

The hyperactive boy glanced over his shoulder, momentarily seeming unusually serious. "Don't worry too much, everybody's going to forget about this eventually. And it's not weird or anything. It wasn't your fault after all."

Natsume didn't have the time to be surprised nor nod as Nishimura jogged over to Tanuma, who kept looking his way, inquiring silently with his raised eyebrow. But Natsume turned his back at him.

With his dark gaze never ascending to meet others, he strode away as further as possible from the voices and shoes that entered his field of vision. Climbing down stairs, moving further and further away, until he could hear his own clothes creak from his moving around in silence.

Running away, even for a little bit, wouldn't hurt anyone…

Natsume stopped in front of a door that hadn't been repainted in a long while and held the doorknob, without any intention of actually going in. He had reached the most remote and rarely visited bathroom of the school.

Few minutes in the first break, the news had already slithered out of the classroom and escaped to the curious ears of students from other classes. He had forgotten how it was to be stared at, how the eyes assessed him before darting back to safety, realizing they had been caught. How the whispers relentlessly attacked him from all sides. Again, ruining the ordinary life he had tried so hard to preserve.

' _Don't worry too much, everybody's going to forget about this eventually. And it's not weird or anything. It wasn't your fault after all.'_

That's right. Nishimura had told him so. He shouldn't be so quick to decide that things would go south.

Natsume noticed how unstable his grip on the knob was, his fingers weakly tightening around the metal. He needed to have a talk with Nyanko-sensei. Had Madoka's master really killed his granddaughter? Was all of it true? The horrific truth that wrecked everything…

"For someone who attracted a lot of attention recently, you were able to slip away quite easily. Are you an octopus or something?"

Natsume blinked. Octopus?

There she was, arms crossed, smile unwavering, bang still behind her ear. Matoba Kaiyo had followed him all the way to the location furthest away from any student. She noticed the confusion that showed up on his face with her last comment and… her smile wavered, in an awkward way. "…Since you know… an octopus can camouflage and all… " She mumbled an explanation, lacking all that confidence she had tried to show off.

Natsume stood upright, turning away from the door. Matoba Kaiyo seemed to regain her sense of self, staring back with resolve in her ebony eyes.

"That was quite something, back in the classroom. It was obvious that you were the cause. If you would fill me in on the details, it would benefit both of us. Do you suspect that something has possessed you?"

He stayed quiet for a long time, during which Matoba Kaiyo's nails started to tap against her crossed arms, purposely trying to sound intimidating. When he finally spoke, his voice came out rather sharp, rather odd, rather icy. "What would the Matoba clan want from me that would make them go to such lengths as placing one of their own at my school?"

Matoba Kaiyo batted an eyelash. She responded calmly, however. "It is the Matoba clan's duty to protect the people of the area. After the recent events, it was deemed necessary for someone capable to keep an eye on you. Judging by everything that happened this morning, I think it was good thinking."

"Keeping an eye on me?" Natsume repeated angrily.

"Yes. Both keeping you safe from whatever troubles you've gotten yourself into, and finding out your secrets. But you know this already."

The intensity between black and orange grew.

Matoba Kaiyo frowned."At least let me check if you're possessed. I think I saw your eyes turn green for a second-"

"Nothing has possessed me, I assure you." His voice got louder again. "This is not something we should be discussing at school, Matoba-san. I suggest we both go back to our classes now. The bell will ring soon."

"Please call me by my first name, Natsume Takashi-san."

Natsume felt the mask of ice he was wearing fall off. He looked at the girl's eyes, for the first time paying real attention. There was a tiny orb of an indiscernible emotion, being stirred like the contents of a boiling cauldron. He couldn't help but feel a little pinch of guilt deep in his throat. He had been rude, somehow.

"You're right. This is not a conversation we should be having at school grounds." She pulled out a pen and paper cut-out in the shape of a little doll, like Natori-san's ones. Natsume raised an eyebrow, trying to understand the upside-down characters that were formed as her fingers slid the pen across the yellowish surface. An address? Matoba Kaiyo put back her pen and raised her eyes, offering him the fancy note. He stared down at it awkwardly.

"It's not going to blow up or anything." She gave the paper a soft flick, as if re-establishing her offer.

Natsume hesitantly grabbed the doll's feet and Matoba Kaiyo let go of its head with an approving nod.

The bell signaled the end of the first break.

"Oh, better not be late." She muttered and turned around.

Matoba Kaiyo and Natsume avoided each other after that.

.

.

.

"…she mentioned seeing my eyes change color too."

"As long as she thinks that you were possessed at the moment, it's no big deal. In my opinion, you should have ignored her and stayed home. Now I lost all chances of my after-lunch nap."

The boy and his cat reached the end of the park, where the trees and bushes abruptly ended and technology prevailed. The rumbling of cars and the echo of footsteps had been present all this time, but now that they were connected with the busy image of the crossroad, shaded by the tall buildings, they were intensified. Knowing that he would have to refrain from speaking to the fat Nyanko-sensei when they'd get close to other people, Natsume's red sneakers stopped.

"What happened today… It's really concerning Sensei. I never expected that… I mean, it was really weird. How did I do that in my sleep anyway? If I could stop myself from seeing them…"

"These visions must stop. It's simple as that." The cat's clever pupils reflected back Natsume's troubled frown.

"Stop?"

"I told you before, didn't I? There's this ayakashi that devours dreams."

Natsume's hand unconsciously went to play with the pendant, which was currently in plain view, seeking comfort from the blue dragon scale's cold and sturdy surface. Nyanko-sensei was right. The dreams were starting to get dangerous. This time, it had been only some broken windows. But what about next time? What if someone got hurt?

"Are you going to stand there sulking for long? I'm hungry!"

"You need to go on a diet, Sensei. " Natsume remarked and started walking again. He hid the pendant underneath his shirt.

Silence fell between them as they mingled with the crowd. Nyanko-sensei's short tail bounced with his quick paced trot. The fluffy, round mass maneuvered through the moving feet, earning surprised glances by a few people who'd realize the creature they had almost stepped on was one of the fattest cats they had ever seen.

Reaching the white stripes of the crossing, Natsume decided that he had enough of the ridiculous situation and picked him up. Nyanko-sensei made a scoffing noise, but didn't refuse the free ride.

"According to the address, it must be somewhere around here…" his orange tint eyes darted around from shop sign to shop sign, until he noticed it. "Ah" His lips curled awkwardly.

No wonder the name of the cafeteria seemed a bit familiar. He had gone in that particular one with Natori-san.

He glanced at the glass partition and spotted, next to his dim reflection, Matoba Kaiyo's face. She was completely focused on the brown catalogue on the table. There was something else, an alarming silhouette, standing by her side. Natsume felt that unsettling knot in his stomach.

Nyanko-sensei slithered inside the bag Natsume was carrying, instantly filling it up.

It took a really long time, but it finally occurred to him that he was, in fact, meeting with a girl who wanted to see him after school at a cafeteria. He felt the red color fill his cheeks. If Nishimura knew about it, he'd probably be making a great fuss.

Hoping that Natori-san wouldn't show up thanks to some evil twist of fate, he pushed the door.

"Welcome!"

Natsume nodded politely to the waitress and made his way to the table. The thin, gloomy figure by Matoba Kaiyo's side slowly turned to glare at him with bored, droopy pitch-black eyes through the waterfall of frizzy hair that fell on its grey, dry face. It was quite tall, almost touching the ceiling, but it looked so wimpy, sitting there in its humble, beige attire.

The creature let out a deep and audible sigh of acknowledgment. Matoba Kaiyo finally looked up from the menu. "Natsume-san, I was convinced you'd be late!"

"There was no reason for me to be." He sat down opposite her with the bag next to him. Nyanko-sensei's tricolored head poked out.

"Cold or hot chocolate?" she asked, diving back into the menu. "The weather's neither cold nor hot… Maybe I should go for something completely different? No, a chocolate is fine. Ok, a cold one then, I don't want to wait for it to cool." The girl mumbled to herself, then glanced at Natsume, whose shoulders twitched. "What will you have, Natsume-san?"

"Eh? Ah, um… a cold chocolate as well, I guess…" he muttered.

"Is that… your familiar?" Having spotted Nyanko-sensei's ears from the other side of the table, she raised her chin to take a better look. "I've hear about him, but I never expected him to be that… uh…"

"Fat, must be the word you're looking for." Natsume decided to help her out.

Nyanko-sensei grumbled loudly in protest. "I'll have manjuus from nanatsujiya on the way back to make my time here worthwhile, no matter how light your wallet is."

"So he does talk in cat form!" Matoba Kaiyo exclaimed. "Oh, I almost forgot. This is Susu, my shiki." She gestured towards the ayakashi next to her. The creature gave a loud groan in response. "He doesn't really say anything and the way he just stands and stares is a bit unsettling, but it's fine I suppose."

The waitress's approach made Nyanko-sensei sneak back into the bag. She took their order and then left, just as suddenly as she had showed up. That left a big, empty silence hanging around the two teens, both obviously fidgeting uncomfortably.

"Natsume-san. Do you remember what I said after the incident this morning?" Matoba Kaiyo decided to take the initiative.

He scowled. "…octopus?"

The color was drained from her face. "No, not that part! Well, I have to apologize for that too… I was trying to be sarcastic. It wasn't a decent thing to say."

Natsume's glare softened. "I didn't take it as an insult. I was just surprised."

Nyanko-sensei snorted mockingly. "Takoyaki…"

"So, um… about what happened in the classroom... I am certain that it was the doing of a yokai. It must have possessed you without you realizing. You may not want to believe my words, but it is the truth, Natsume-san. The windows broke and your eyes turned green. It's the perfect explanation."

"I'll have to admit, it fits perfectly."

"Then you should let me exorcise it, it could be dangerous!"

"Nyanko-sensei can drive out most yokai that attempt to possess me. I informed him about the situation when I got home. I'm fine now." Technically, he wasn't lying, just offering random bits of truth.

The girl looked at the fat cat, then at Natsume, sinking back in her seat with a long exhale. "Everything's alright then."

They had made a bad start, but Matoba Kaiyo didn't mean any harm, despite all the things she had said before. She had tried to seem intimidating, purposely imitating the calm demeanor of Matoba Seiji, but her cheerful character showed through the cracks she hadn't yet sealed… at least, that was the impression Natsume got. Why she was trying so hard was a mystery.

"Natsume-san, the reason I asked you to come here… I just wanted to tell you…" At this point, her slender body shot upright, like a withering flower that had been given the water it desperately needed. Her eyes were glistening. "You have every right to be suspicious, but I don't intend to threaten your everyday life. I don't want to make trouble for you. In fact, I would have liked to be a simple classmate…. I am aware that due to the circumstances, it is not possible, but…"

The words were lost as the waitress set their drinks in front of them. Once she left, Nyanko-sensei hopped out of the bag, which collapsed from the sudden emptiness, like a punctured balloon. He eyed the filled biscuits, gluttonously rolling his tongue over his snout.

"Hey, give me those, Natsume!"

Matoba Kaiyo titled her head. "Cats can't eat sweet things though?"

"I'm not a cat! I didn't expect to hear this from an exorcist!" the fat cat protested loudly, immediately shoving its face into the pile of biscuits. Natsume's attempts to salvage even one of them proved futile.

"Sensei!" the boy watched with mortification as saliva and crumbs landed on the table.

Susu moaned, his gaping mouth widened and the mass of hair moved slightly. Whether this was an act to indicate condemn or desire for food, no one could be certain.

"Seiji-kun told me that you get along, but I never thought a master and a shiki could have this kind of relationship… You call him Sensei… He does whatever he feels like doing too… It's somewhat strange."

The name of that man was bound to become the subject of a conversation. Seiji-kun? The way she referred to him certainly showed their intimacy. Natsume expected to hear something else however, such as 'my uncle', 'my older brother'… not 'my father', he was too young… They shared the same surname too.

Natsume took a sip from the cup and the girl followed suit. He was left with traces of brown that formed a mustache around his mouth, but wiped it off right away, realizing his carelessness. Matoba Kaiyo smirked but looked away, pretending to not have noticed.

"What's your relationship with that gloomy guy anyway?" Nyanko-sensei asked.

"Gloomy guy?"

"The one that bosses your lot around, that Matoba brat." Nyanko-sensei's slit pupils were raised from the plate, tracking the girl's muscles as they shifted and contorted on her face.

"You mean… oh." She lowered her voice and head in understanding.

Natsume tried to figure out the expression Matoba Kaiyo wore, but it was a tangled mess of spider webs. It looked like a kind of fragile bittersweet, like a mirror made of ice, ready to turn into liquid and flow.

"I guess you could say we were forced into acquaintance. Seiji-kun bares a lot of responsibilities as the head of the clan. He doesn't have time to idle about now, but in the older days, we used to hang out because of lessons."

Nyanko-sensei's eyes narrowed. "He knows your strengths and weaknesses well, that's why he sent you here. He wants someone he can entrust with the mission."

Natsume felt the need to scold Nyanko-sensei's crude comment, but couldn't find any words. The cat was right.

Still…

"About what you said before…"

The ebony-haired girl looked up, cautious, expecting scorn.

"You are right. I cannot bring myself to trust you. But, since you are a classmate, I will treat you like one. Just as you won't make trouble for me, I won't make trouble for you either, Kaiyo-san."

The tall ayakashi next to her exhaled audibly. Nyanko-sensei dived back to the remaining biscuits. The chocolates were waiting to be consumed.

Kaiyo and Natsume smiled faintly to each other.

.

.

.

"No! I'm not going back without manjuus!"

"Sensei, we can't waste any more time! Touko-san and Shigeru-san will be back soon!"

"So what? You're the one who sneaked out so secretly, face your problems and buy me some manjuus!"

Nyanko-sensei's little paws landed harshly on Natsume's shoulder, where the cat was perched like a parrot. But the boy didn't pick up his pace. "You ate all of my biscuits; you're in no position to complain!"

"The shop is right there! Look, Natsume! It's right there!" the maneki cat drawled, trying to force his head to turn right, where Nanatsujiya's lights contrasted the thick yellow that the falling sun, on the verge of the horizon, shed on the other few buildings.

Natsume sighed at the persistence of the fat ayakashi. Putting up with his tantrums was too hard a job for him to always stand his ground, so spoiling the cat now and then was not going to cause the end of the world. "Fine, let's be qui-

There was something.

Nyanko-sensei's fur stood on edge. Natsume froze in place, having felt a familiar chill caress the back of his neck. Something was breathing behind him, staring, preparing itself. His heart skipped a beat, like it always did, and time seemed to slow down, allowing fear to make its presence known.

It pounced.

Natsume was shoved in the ground so quickly that he didn't have time to put his arms in front to protect his face. His cheeks burned from the rough treatment. All air left his lungs. He was rolled onto his back a second later and felt the ice-cold fingers grip his neck as he coughed hard, forcing his aching ribs to expand and allow oxygen back in. Natsume's hand released the bag's strap and went to seize the wrists of whatever had attacked him.

Two large, black pits stared back at him. The gaping mouth drew shaky breaths and a mess of unruly black hair sprouted like a bush around the long face of the yokai. Natsume recognized it; Susu.

"W-hy?!" Natsume stuttered.

The pressure Susu's slender hands were applying was not enough to harm, but it certainly made Natsume feel uncomfortable.

"How dare you." Nyanko-sensei hissed.

Bright blue was emitted from the cat's forehead. Natsume shut his eyes to shield them from the blinding light. He instantly felt the hands release him, but as they withdrew, something else crawled up his chest and ruffled his hair, being taken away. Susu fled.

Natsume sprang up with gritted teeth and searched for it desperately under his shirt, hoping that it had just been his imagination. A heavy rock landed in his stomach. The pendant was gone.

With wild, emerald eyes, he turned to his trustworthy bodyguard, seeking consolation.

Nyanko-sensei had already shifted. "Hurry!"

Natsume climbed on the shoulders of the inugami clumsily, nearly slipping as Madara leapt into the air with a powerful whipping of the earth with his white tail.

They cut through the air angrily, swooshing past the drowsy birds that were flying past curfew. Nyanko-sensei's keen yellow eyes surveyed the trees below, the fiery gaze of an experienced predator. It was obvious and fairly logical that Susu would be heading to the Matoba Mansion.

"He found something very interesting and was sly enough to take it, that guy. I'll show him!" Madara growled.

Panic had overwhelmed Natsume. Without the pendant, people would stop seeing him. Without the pendant, he wouldn't be able to return. Without it…

"If Matoba gets his hands on it..." Natsume's lips barely moved, but the timid whisper was not enough to escape Madara's sharp ears.

"Stop panicking, it's annoying." The inugami demanded sternly.

Natsume raked the white fur with his fingers. It was like an endless pit of snowy grass, and his nails never seemed to reach the sensitive skin underneath. But proof of its existence was the warmth it exhibited, like any other alive being. He had come in contact with that source of warmth on several other occasions, yet now he lacked the strength to dig deep enough.

It occurred to him, at that moment, that Nyanko-sensei was more of a cat than he would admit. Ayakashi or not, he had the warmth of one.

"Hm? So they're coming already?"

"…they?"

Madara turned ever so slightly to look at him. "Those idiots are. You're like a beacon in this state."

Before he could ask what he meant, Natsume leaped backwards, nearly falling off the inugami's back as a giant shadow shot upwards from their left. He had to make sure his feet were secured before looking up again. Tiny bells chimed frantically.

"Misuzu?" Natsume exclaimed with an incredulous frown, recognizing the giant horse face and the purplish clothing.

"We're here too, Natsume-sama!"

"We're here, we're here!"

"The Chukyuu too?!" Natsume's brows had collided at this point and his eyes were wide as his mouth was open.

The two yokai were indeed riding on top of Misuzu's head, holding on from the two small horns that protruded from a sea of grey hair. They seemed happier than ever. Worst of all, they had even brought a bottle of sake, which the cow-like one was waving in the air.

Just then, a deep exhale sounded from right behind. Natsume snapped around and a dense puff of smoke, with all its mysterious, sweet but unbearable odors, crashed into his face. He coughed with force, blinking several times to clear the vision of his reddened eyes.

"My my, I'm left for last?"

Hinoe had nested on Madara's back, casually sitting with folded legs and defying the natural laws of motion and gravity it seemed, by her ability to calmly smoke her pipe with eyes closed without falling off.

"Hm? Wait, what are you doing?" Nyanko-sensei protested, the muscles and spine stiffening. "Get off of me?"

"I've been sitting here patiently for minutes now, but when I finally am noticed, this is the treatment I receive?" she whined and patted Madara's hind leg, totally on purpose. Hinoe wasn't planning on getting off anytime soon.

"What is everyone doing here?" Natsume shouted, trying to be heard over the strong wind.

"Natsume-dono, my apologies for the interruption," Misuzu spoke up. His swirly eyes, as always, seemed to pierce through him. "But this is an impending matter. It appears you have affected the Yatsuhara Field in a peculiar way."

"Affected?" he repeated, staring back without understanding.

"Not you directly, but it is still something that you produced." Hinoe decided to help with the situation. "Your powers have grown significantly, Natsume. Your feelings of frustration bring a certain unease to those around." She said and her slender, cold hand touched the boy's silver hair softly.

"It came and went so suddenly, because you flew away so fast!"

"So fast, so fast!"

"But we rushed by Natsume-sama's side, because we're his trustworthy, mighty, ruthless, legendary, Inu no Kai!"

"Inu no Kai, Inu no Kai!" the other one repeated with its usual, blissful grin.

"I… I didn't know that… you were affected because of…" Natsume mumbled incoherently, trying to sort out a way to apologize. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." He eventually ended up saying.

Up to now, it had been the people he cared about. Making trouble for yokai as well was not something he was used to; it was usually the other way around. But they were all there, having felt whatever that 'unease' was; they had come to his assistance.

"Whether you wish for us to get involved or not, we will still do as we please and follow you around." Hinoe was quick to dismiss Natsume's apology. She brought the pipe to her purple lips once more and her kimono expanded, then shrank as the smoke escaped her. "So, what are we hunting?"

Somehow, with ayakashi, he knew that he didn't have to hold back. They were creatures that understood things without being told. And they had the confidence of beings that roamed the fields at the darkest of nights.

He smirked in quite an unusual way and turned to face forward, were the trees spread out endlessly, no matter how many Nyanko-sensei had left behind. "Somebody stole something important from me. It is not the Yuujinchou, but I definitely want it back." Natsume explained.

"O-ho? I get that we're on a hunt?"

He didn't reply directly, but it was a clear statement. The dark neon green of Natsume's eyes was swirling around the slit black pupil, glowing brighter at the centre, an icy burn. The eyes of the dragons were wild and gleaming. Touko-san and Shigeru-san would soon be back. He needed the pendant.

"We're going on a hunt with Natsume-sama!"

"Hunt, hunt!"

"Interesting…" Misuzu admitted, blowing steam from his nostrils to indicate his excitement.

Hinoe quietly exhaled another puff of smoke.

"He's slowed down, I think." Madara announced, having picked up the scent with his sensitive nose. Everybody fell silent. "We're approaching the annoying brat's Mansion."

The two giant ayakashi swooped down to the level of the trees. Their ability to maneuver between the naked branches and trunks without batting an eyelash was impressive, but they still had to slow down.

Natsume shot a glance at the two yokai on top of Misuzu's head. They looked to be as carefree as ever, still waving that bottle of Sake around, but they had fallen silent, sensing the dire of the situation. It was not a clever idea to bring them there, the base of a dozen powerful exorcists. Because they were certainly lurking around, along with Matoba-san's lifeless, masked shiki, patrolling close to the barrier.

"Misuzu, take care of them please…" he shouted, and the two big eyes blinked in acknowledgment.

As if he had jinxed it, a slim silhouette appeared before them, at first looking like nothing more than another tree, but a few seconds later, its features were magnified; it was a shiki alright. It had snapped its head towards them and stared, with surprise that didn't actually exist, at the incoming threat. Then Nyanko-sensei's paw slammed into it and sent it rolling on the layer of crunchy leaves on the ground.

Another one emerged from their side, running at their speed. It kept its distance, its two black orbs watching them steadily from safety. The way its legs moved beneath their clothing, bending unnaturally with every step, while its upper body swayed unpredictably from side to side, was very unnerving.

Hinoe jumped off of the inugami's back, a purple shadow that darted out of sight. The shiki was taken care of immediately.

"There!" the one-eyed Chukyuu pointed a shaky finger.

Somewhere not that far ahead, the rustling of leaves made them aware of the presence of the ayakashi they were after. Squinting, Natsume spotted the mess of black hair, bouncing up and down on top of a beige kimono, which dangled freely around the sleek body.

Three more shiki appeared, at their right, their left, and behind.

They were close to the Mansion. They shouldn't go past the barrier.

Something green suddenly attacked one of the masked figures, shoving it on a random tree.

"Iwaho?" Natsume uttered with disbelief.

The yokai's red and black eyes met his own. Iwaho nodded with appreciation before disappearing from view.

"I'll deal with the rest." Misuzu offered.

"Hold on!" Nyanko-sensei warned briefly and sped up.

Susu sensed the danger he was in and his large, droopy pupil-less eyes glanced over his shoulder. A terrible screech left his wide, ever-hanging mouth. In his clenched, big fist, the pendant was guarded carefully.

Madara growled, a deep, gurgling sound from his throat meant to threaten. His pink gums rose to reveal the two rows of teeth.

"Don't harm him, Sensei!"

The inugami fell on top of Susu, holding him down with two great white paws and sharp claws. They slid for several feet from their momentum, etching a path of leafless mud on the ground before finally slowing down. Susu let out a thin, scared moan, but his face remained expressionless, droopy and liquid, like smeared paint from a kindergarten kid's sloppy drawing.

"Hand it over!" Madara spat, applying pressure.

"Stop it, Sensei!" Natsume cried, worrying for the safety of the yokai. "He's Kaiyo-san's shiki!"

"All the more reason then! That troublesome girl ordered him to do it!"

Susu let out another thin groan. At last, his fingers relaxed and the blue pendant dropped on the forest floor.

"Nyanko-sensei!" Natsume yelled desperately.

The inugami flinched all of the sudden. It was enough for the panicked Susu to squirm out of Madara's hold. He trudged, exhausted, towards the trees.

"S-Sensei?"

"You idiot, don't just let it all out on me!" Nyanko-sensei's yellow eyes twitched irritably.

"Let what out?" Natsume snapped back, sliding down the ayakashi's white shoulders to bend down and retrieve the pendant.

"It's really troublesome." He proceeded to, quite cat-like, shake some invisible water off him. His fur shot up, soft and fluffy. "When you're calm, it's like a wave of tranquility, the kind you get after drinking a few cups of sake. But when you're being such a wimp, it's like hearing someone scratch glass forcefully with a fork."

"Oh."

They both stood in silence, regaining their calm heart rates. Then, a certain silver voice, sounded from not that far away, in the direction Susu had fled.

"Susu! Whatever happened to you?"

Natsume's arms and legs became stiff.

"Running off like that… seriously… What were you doing all this time anyway? It's getting dark!"

That was, without a doubt, Kaiyo. Who didn't know anything about Susu's actions.

A second voice joined, adult and unknown. "What are you doing, Kaiyo?" It sounded sharp and stern.

"Mother, Susu was gone for a long time so I became worried…" she hesitantly replied.

"…It's dirty. Don't you let it go inside like that."

"Of course, Mother."

"Hurry up then, everyone is waiting. A Matoba should not be late at any meeting."

"Yes, Mother."

"Don't you yes-mother me, young lady. If you want to stand by the side of the Matoba clan's head, you have to be proper. Look at you, there are leaves in your hair!"

"I'll be sure to be presentable at the meeting. There is still time left."

"That's my daughter. You're going to look lovely for him, I'll personally see to that."

"Yes…"

"Kaiyo, this man is going to be your future husband. There is no need to be shy, ok?"

"Yes…. Thank you, Mother. I'm going to do my best… for Seiji-kun."

"Good. I like the confidence."

Nyanko-sensei gently nudged Natsume with his snout, but there was no response. He sighed deeply. Quietly, he kneeled down and brought his giant yellow eye before the frozen boy's face. "Time to go, Natsume. Touko-san and Shigeru-san might already be back."

Natsume blinked. All color had been drained from his cheeks. "Mm, let's go…" he mumbled with uncertainty, not feeling his legs move. Nyanko-sensei had to help him up with another push.

They met with the Chukyuu, Misuzu and Hinoe (Iwaho had left already) on the way back. The group left quickly, in fear of any exorcists coming to deal with them after the commotion with the shiki.

Natsume and Nyanko-sensei arrived home just in time, literally a minute before Shigeru-san's car pulled up in the front.

* * *

Wow, ok, I think this was a full chapter. I hope you enjoyed the interaction between Natsume and Kaiyo, since she's going to be an interesting character. Maybe the action was not that perfect, but well, I'm satisfied more or less… So, in case you haven't understood already, Kaiyo is the victim of an arranged marriage and is supposed to marry (the word marry sounds weird to me for a reason, I'm not sure why, it just does) Matoba Seiji. Oh, the drama! (Maybe too much drama…?) Well, anyway, you can make your own assumptions about her. Is she going to be an enemy? An ally? Neutral? I still haven't decided. Fun fact, Susu means soot.

Regarding my life, (skip this paragraph preferably) I've just changed schools. And it's... awkward. I'm very uncomfortable, being around people who already know each other. It seems like there is no place left for me to fit. But I know that it won't be like this for long. I just have to stop being such a wuss and talk with people! Because that is my biggest problem. I cannot talk properly. Even with friends, I find myself blabbering nervously sometimes. But, I'm going to be a total walking disaster and talk with others despite that, no matter what! Ha! HaHa! Ok, I think I'm going to die midway... I'm fine by the way, it really isn't that big of a deal. Oh, wait, Kaiyo is new as well! Maybe that's why I created her that way, as a result of my subconsciousness's troubles? Well, I feel the struggle, Kaiyo! (continue from here, I don't know why I blurted all that out)

So once again, thank you for your patience!

But most importantly, **thank you for your reviews** , wonderful readers! The overwhelming joy that hits me every time I get a new one is what makes this experience truly amazing. Writing, not just for my sake, but for you, is a real bliss. I want you to know that I treasure every review and of course, each and every one of you. Whether you are a writer, who knows the happiness of sharing a piece of work, or a reader, who knows the contentment of receiving it (maybe you even write reviews, because you want to share), either way, you're sharing. **And sharing is wonderful.**

Until next time!


	10. Black Tongue

I want to thank everyone who reviewed last time, new readers and old ones alike, seriously, thank you! Writing for you is one of the best things I do in my life (and I don't do much because I'm a couch potato).

Also, a quick reply to Blitza because it is necessary: No, Natsume merely felt repulsed by the fact that someone was being forced into marriage.

Which brings me to this: I have decided that there will not be any serious romantic feelings portrayed in this story, but I will provide you with lots of interaction between the characters. Note: This may change because I'm an indecisive piece of lovely broccoli, so if you do wish to see a pairing please tell me. I'm a person easy to convince, do not hesitate! BUT, of course, it will have to be the majority asking for it.

Also, a quick question: I was thinking of titling the chapters from now on. I am also planning on editing the previous ones at some point, because OH MY POTATO, SO MANY MISTAKES!

And another very important thing that I assume some of you have already heard about; WE'RE GETTING A FILM NEXT YEAR! NATSUME YUUJINCHOU MOVIE! :)

Ok, well, here we go! Chapter 9! WOOHOO!

* * *

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Sasada remarked with a look of disappointment, yet Nishimura ignored her completely and purposely leaned as far back as the chair would allow him, dangerously dangling. "Say something to him, you're his friend so he'll listen, Natsume-kun!"

"-?" Natsume's chin was raised from the hand on which it rested and his elbow slid down. He considered Sasada's troubled frown directed to him and nervously scratched his arm. "Sorry, I wasn't listening…"

The brunette's shoulders slant down. She sighed in defeat.

"See, he's still sleeping." Nishimura titled his head back, with hair hanging down oddly and upside-down eyes looking accursedly at Natsume. "The only thing interesting enough on TV yesterday was that movie where Natori Suichi plays the main character, but I doubt you'd be interested in that… right?" he smirked playfully.

"I wouldn't watch that movie even if it was the only film left on earth," Natsume admitted.

"Natori Suichi, huh…" Sasada adopted a dreamy expression, but she took care to wipe that wondrous grin off her face quickly.

"So that means you were on your phone. Well, that's certainly progression. Congratulati- WAAH!"

Nishimura would have fallen on the floor along with his chair like an overgrown watermelon, hadn't it been for Natsume's quick intervention. He grabbed the back of the chair and pushed, successfully suspending it. Nishimura dragged his feet over to the floor and the chair landed on all four again with a grumpy bam.

"Nice save, thanks!"

"You won't be so lucky next time," Sasada warned.

"Ah, hey!" Out of the blue, Nishimura's face beamed, having spotted Kaiyo's flowing black hair as she entered the classroom. "Good morning, Matoba-san!"

She stopped before reaching her desk and looked at them, the strap of her bag sliding down her shoulder slightly. Natsume couldn't help but remember her request from the day before…

'… _Please call me by my first name…'_

It made sense now.

"Good morning..." She replied with a bright smile. "Nishimura-san… right?"

Natsume could almost hear Nishimura's internal squeak. The boy nodded, happy that he was remembered.

Then her eyes fell upon Natsume.

Did she know? Had Susu told her?

But she only smiled a little, simply acknowledging his presence.

He made a polite wave with his hand. Nishimura made an indiscernible low sound, having witnessed the exchange.

She most likely had no idea. If Susu had acted on the orders of someone else, that he would not inform the girl about it was expected. But still, there was only one person Natsume could think of that would order the ayakashi around even though it was another's familiar. That man didn't know the meaning of 'holding back'. Susu had surely told him. What conclusions would Matoba-san reach?

 _Calm down_ , Natsume mentally mumbled. There wasn't much Matoba-san could know. He had only learned that the pendant Susu stole was important. Even though Natsume was seen… like that… Susu probably had no idea that him, the human, Natsume, was the same as that white-haired yokai-like someone that had gone after him to retrieve it. No, he didn't seem to show any signs of understanding the situation and recognizing his pursuers.

"I wonder how long it will be until they replace them…" Sasada mumbled, gazing at the ceiling fan that swirled above their heads.

"Them?" Nishimura titled his head.

"The windows. It doesn't feel right to be in another classroom." She remarked.

He looked up at the ceiling and frowned along. "I agree with that. For how long will we have to use the classrooms of those that are in PE? It's very distracting to have to move along with all our stuff every time. Breaks my conversation, you know."

"For once, you say something that I can totally relate to."

Natsume's fingers, wrapped around his thin wrist, squeezed with force, cutting the blood flow around it and dying it white. He kept his gaze fixated on the lines of his notebook.

"You should have seen the principal's face yesterday, Natsume! While you were in the bathroom, he walked in and started shouting when he saw that the rumours about the windows were true. I thought his eyes would pop out!"

"Hey now, don't say that out loud!" Sasada scolded.

"I tell you guys, this is going to become one of the school's major ghost stories that we will pass down to the next generation. All we have to do is come up with a creepy and ridiculous explanation. Forty years ago, they say, a student found herself mysteriously locked inside a bathroom stall, when she saw a strange face reflected on the water inside the toilet, and-"

"This school didn't even exist forty years ago!" Sasada decided to stop his momentum, for the sake of the future.

"Why do you know that?"

Sasada rolled her eyes.

"Come on, it definitely sounds fun. Right?" He glanced at Natsume.

Basically, Nishimura's gaze meant 'cheer up'.

"I guess so?" he responded with a timid shrug.

"As if we don't already have enough creepypasta school stories… Especially now that-"

Sasada didn't complete her sentence. Her eyebrows and corners of her mouth fell, eyes blinking and avoiding the boy that had been, more or less, the cause for the rise of all those stories. A student had been attacked by a mysterious lunatic, who was still on the run… It was better if Natsume was kept out of all the weird theories concerning his case. No need to remind him of the incident or stress him out.

"It's mid-October… and nobody has mentioned Halloween yet…" Nishimura changed the subject.

"This is not America, you know."

"Yeah, but Halloween's great! We need to have it here too! You get to dress as whatever you like and threaten the adults for sweets for a whole night!"

"You're too old for that now."

"One is never too old to be a child sometimes"

"Halloween…huh." Natsume mumbled. He wasn't a fan of scary things. Still, the idea of dressing up as something scary sounded like fun.

"Oh? You're interested?" Nishimura turned around, a mischievous spark in his eyes. "You're already on my list then, Natsume. I'm thinking of planning something… I don't know what it is yet, but I'm inspired!"

Whatever had Nishimura come up with? Natsume and Sasada exchanged confused glances.

And then it came, the obnoxious ringing of the morning bell. Sasada sighed, fixed her glasses and trudged to her seat. Nishimura melted back into his chair with the exhaustion of a high school student that got tired just by thinking about the rest of day's work.

Natsume let his chin rest on his hand again, exhaling deeply. He observed the windows, full of smudged fingerprints, not having been cleaned properly in a day or two. It was uncomfortable to have a view on the yard from a ground level; everything seemed just too big to contain in a single picture. He couldn't see the top of the trees anymore, and the road was barely visible behind the green wired fence.

Then he spotted it.

A short, skeletal creature with a long slender neck and mud-red wrinkly skin, watching with beady crimson eyes from behind a tree trunk.

Natsume felt the hair on his arms rise and an unpleasant, tingling sensation ran from the base of his neck down his spine.

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.

.

"There's a yokai in the yard."

Natsume silently nodded, without turning to look at the girl who had leaned on the wall next to him. They were both staring at the creature, whose intense gaze didn't leave them for a moment. It stood still, holding its ground, aware that it had been noticed.

"For some reason, it seems to be interested only in you. Do you know why?" Kaiyo calmly asked.

Indeed, it acted as if the students that wondered in close proximity around it in the schoolyard, totally oblivious to its presence, were not even there.

"I've been told that I smell good to ayakashi…" Natsume replied, not a twitch appearing on his face.

"Is that so." She sighed and took a step forward, leaving the comfort of the wall behind her back. "Well, in any case, I'll get rid of it before it causes any trouble."

"Wait a minute. We can't know if it really means any harm."

"What else could it mean by staring you down like that? It will probably jump at you from behind and scream something along the lines of 'I'll eat you' if you don't stop it."

Natsume shuddered at the mental image because it had become quite a frequent experience in his life.

But before he could come up with a convincing argument, a certain raven-haired boy walked up to them, already forming a friendly grin. Natsume turned to him with his hand raised as a greeting. Following behind him was a short, caramel-haired girl. "Tanuma, Taki!"

"Hey Natsume." Tanuma nodded and looked at Kaiyo. "You must be the new transfer student. I am Tanuma Kaname."

"I'm Tooru Taki. We're Natsume's friends." Taki introduced herself as well, stepping forward.

Kaiyo smiled back. "I am Matoba Kaiyo. Pleased to meet you."

"They're from another class," Natsume explained.

"Ah, I see."

Of course andTanuma would be worried after yesterday's events. He even brought Taki with him… the two were conspiring, it seemed. Natsume felt grateful for their attention. He hadn't talked with them for a while. Tanuma was probably a bit mad since Natsume had been purposely avoiding him. He just wished he could get the chance to properly apologize at some point.

"Natsume." Tanuma quietly called.

Taki and Kaiyo were immersed in a conversation, not listening to them.

"Is everything alright?"

Natsume hesitated. "…It's… fine."

"It's just that you've been silent these days."

"...Sorry about that. I didn't want to get anybody involved. There was nothing you could do about it."

"Nothing I could do about it, huh," Tanuma repeated dryly.

Realising that he had phrased it wrong, Natsume hurried to clarify, feeling a painful pinch of guilt. "What I mean is, there was nothing to be done, really. It wasn't anything serious."

"I just hope you know what you're doing."

' _Me too'_ , Natsume thought.

"You'll tell me if it does get serious though. We're friends, Natsume. Don't make me say that all over again, it feels like when we first started talking with each other on a daily basis, the time we were barely friends and more of acquaintances." Tanuma exhaled and looked up again, scratching his cheek awkwardly.

"I'm…" …sorry, is what he'd say, but Natsume flinched. He realized that he was once more planning to deceive Tanuma and run away for his own convenience, despite being fully aware of the boy's feelings. Natsume felt the need to fix things at the very moment. "Actually, there's something..."

"Something?" Tanuma blinked, back straightening immediately, eyes livening up.

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.

.

' _Sure. But don't be late or Touko-san will worry! Give your friends my thanks.'_

Natsume shoved the white cell phone back in his trousers' pocket, thankful that Shigeru-san had no objections to him returning home on foot and with Tanuma and Taki's escort. He looked up. The two were already waiting for him at the end of the staircase.

"I heard there's a yokai." Taki immediately tried to explain her presence, but Natsume gave her a reassuring smile. Tanuma had already told him that he was going to drag Taki into this.

"Yes… it's been watching me all this time." Natsume winced once he stepped into the sunlight. On the roof, where there were no walls to offer protection, the wind was free to harass them from all directions at full speed. The leaves that were blown on their bare hands were sharp enough to give them 'paper-cuts'.

They strode to the green wired-fence, all rubbing arms and unrolling sleeves to warm themselves up.

"Actually, I have a favour to ask you…" Natsume looked at his friends with honest, embarrasses eyes. "I told Shigeru-san that you'd walk me home. I'm sorry, I didn't ask you first if you could…"

"No, that's fine. He'd worry if you were to return by yourself, right?" Taki said.

"Yeah. Don't make a big deal out of it. Of course we'll do it." Tanuma nodded in agreement.

"You guys… thank you." Natsume's lips curled to form one of his purest, warmest smiles, a bliss that spread all over his face and made his eyes light up. Taki and Tanuma grinned to each other.

"So, now that we've sorted that out… Is it still there?" The raven-haired boy gestured towards the yard, of which they had a perfect view.

Natsume's chin lowered as he quietly searched among the trees.

There it was, not having moved an inch all morning. Its crimson eyes showed no discomfort as it coldly stared back, serious and calculating. It made the hair on his arms stand on edge. Sometimes, he did get creepy stalking yokai like that that, in the end of the day, would finally approach him and timidly ask for their name to be returned. It probably was one of those.

"I'll try talking to it," Natsume announced.

"Eh? Are you sure that's a good idea?" Taki mumbled worriedly.

"If it does anything funny… I guess we will all just have to run away. Though there's no knowing if it will follow us…"

Tanuma smirked nervously. "In the end, you're the one doing everything by yourself. We're just watching."

"We're here for support." Taki corrected.

It felt safer this way. Natsume could throw a punch or two if push came to shove. But the other two would be completely helpless, not even able to see it.

Taki frowned. "I think we should go grab some brooms for good measure."

"Brooms?" Tanuma raised an eyebrow.

She nodded. "Better have some form of protection. What do you think, Natsume-kun?"

"Eh? Ah… It's… not a bad idea." He admitted, thinking back on all the times he had used his own school bag as a weapon.

"How are we going to get brooms, anyway?" Tanuma put on a very troubled expression.

"I'm on cleaning duty today." She explained.

The three friends hurried to the room where all the cleaning equipment was kept, ignoring the inquiring glances of students that were cleaning the hallways or going to their after-school activities. The boys allowed Taki to search through the mess of old mops, buckets, and sprays. She raised the first broom she found with a proud smirk and handed it to them.

Tanuma and Natsume stared at the broom in awkward silence. It was just a piece of wood with uneven hair sticking out at the end that was tangled with dirty fluffy clusters, bits of paper and dried glue.

"Nobody uses these anymore. You should be glad they haven't been thrown away yet." Taki said, noticing their disappointed expressions as she came out of the little room with another two brooms which were not in a very good condition either. "Come on, let's go."

Walking on the grass with a broom was a rather weird sensation. If someone tried to sweep the ground, he would be basically getting dirt off the dirt… They strode across the yard confidently, but Natsume could tell they were just as tense as he was. He looked up from the grass, the green fibres that hugged his shoes, and saw it, with its eyes, the red rubies trying to pierce his very being. Tanuma and Taki stopped behind him, clutching their brooms in a warning manner.

This time, the yokai moved, or rather, its finger did. Slowly, painfully slowly, they slithered across the rough brown tree trunk as the ayakashi withdrew its arm. Then it took three step forward, limbs handing awkwardly from a leaning, staggering body. It wore a simple black yukata, loosely and quite messily tied around its chubby waist with a white cloth. Black hair, straight and oily as if drenched in water, covered almost all of its face, with the exception of the glowing red orbs. Its long red neck had several ripples, wrinkled and distorted.

Yet its features didn't make Natsume budge. He drowned the urge to run, as he had done countless other times, and peered straight into the soul-sucking red pits, calmly.

"This is not a place you should be wandering around at," he spoke.

It revealed a mouth with rows of sharp teeth. "I am not wandering. I am waiting." Its voice was distant, echoed, crackling like frost.

It walked, getting closer and closer, at its slow, unsettling pace. Tanuma winced, having sensed it, and held his broom a little higher. Taki imitated him, her eyes frantically darting around, desperately trying to locate the source of danger that upset her stomach.

"This is not a place to wait at." Natsume calmly replied.

"I do not abide by human rules." Slowly, slowly, it trudged forward, closer and closer. Now Nastume could clearly see the freckles and spots on the wrinkly crimson skin, the dirty broken nails, the stray strands of hair that stood out.

Natsume's grip on his broom tightened, but his worry didn't show at the slightest. With that expressionless face, he stood frozen, waiting for the yokai to speak out its desires.

"I am searching for a certain child of man. A child of man that I want to offer a gift to."

"A gift?"

"You are that child of man. Please accept it…ThE giFt oF DeAtH!"

The shrieking ayakashi attacked so fast that Natsume almost didn't have time to shield himself with his broom. The large body impacted with the stick, pushing him down with its weight. His elbows dug into the earth as he strained his muscles to withstand the force. Natsume groaned from the effort.

"Natsume!" Tanuma cried and swung his broom with all the power he could master. The wood slammed against the yokai's side and it produced an ear-piercing scream, but still didn't let go of its target.

The long neck stretched and the hair-covered face approached him. Through the teeth of the terrifying smirk below the red eyes, a black, rotten thing protruded. Natsume struggled to move away, but the yokai's hand grabbed his chin and painfully twisted his head back towards it. He shivered from disgust as the dry, rough tongue slid across his pale cheek, right under his eye. The row of sharp teeth came closer, ready to dig into the tender flesh and-

Taki managed to strike the yokai's elongated slender neck, the sound of wood smacking flesh scaring away a few birds on a nearby tree. The screeching ayakashi's neck shortened back to its original length and it stepped back, caressing the spot where it had received the blow.

"Run!" Natsume yelled, scrambling up on his feet.

Taki swung her broom around once more and then turned around to follow the other two on their wild run. Their hearts were beating like drums and adrenaline flowing through their veins made each cell of their body give energy, reminding them of the danger, urging them to move.

"We need to lure it away from the school!" Taki shouted.

Tanuma made the mistake of glancing back. Although he could not see it, he had a very strong feeling that the yokai was running after them. "…Natsume!"

It was after him. If he could just lure it away and make it lose him… Dragging Tanuma and Taki into this… was it a good choice?

" _Bind the spirit that arose from earth, purge the darkness, thou who are light, thou who are my will"_

Natsume caught a glimpse of black hair as he ran past the girl. He made a sloppy stop and turned around, beads of sweat being flung off his bangs.

Rectangular slips of paper hovered around the yokai that was chasing them, encircling it. Before it had time to realize what was happening, the paper pieces flew on it and covered it, several layers of them. They glowed brightly and the creature cried horrifically, futilely trying to break free of its paper prison, wriggling its neck. It started to turn into ash, bits of it falling off and decomposing, until it vanished from existence, along with its ear-piercing squeals and red eyes.

"Well, that was extremely stupid. If I hadn't been around…" Kaiyo hissed, walking up to him with an angry frown.

Natsume stood frozen, not sure how to respond. Tanuma lightly tapped his shoulder. "My headache's gone." He mumbled.

"It's safe now, yes? I mean, you exorcised it, right?" Taki timidly asked, looking at the enraged form of the Matoba girl.

"It won't come back. See for yourself." Kaiyo pointed in a dismissing manner at the place where the yokai had last been.

"Ah… Well…" The brunette looked around awkwardly, not sure where she was supposed to look.

"Don't tell me… You can't see them?" Kaiyo's eyes widened.

"You thought we did?" Tanuma asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Why do you know about their existence? No, in the first place, why did you even get involved then? It's dangerous for normal people." She then turned to Natsume with an accusing scowl.

"Look, he had nothing to do with us getting involved. Natsume is one of those 'normal people' you mentioned, unlike you who apparently knows how to deal with these stuff with your exorcising techniques. And we wanted to get involved because he's our friend, thank you very much!"

Taki's angry retaliation pulled a sensitive chord. Kaiyo's face of rage melted into a light frown. She opened and closed her mouth with hesitation, then decided to let her lips form a thin, apologetic line.

"I was carried away, please excuse me."

"No need to be so formal. I'm sorry too, for lashing out. You were just worried." Taki gave her a soft reassuring smile.

"Though I still believe that engaging that thing yourselves was reckless and idiotic."

"That's… acceptable. We're sorry." Tanuma sighed.

"Hey! Hey, guys! What are you all doing out there with the brooms?"

They all turned to look at the building with surprise. A familiar head was poking out of a window from the second floor. Nishimura waved at them with a cloth in hand, grinning toothily.

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"And that's when we ended the conversation."A click sounded as Natsume plugged in the hair drier. "But Sensei, I have no idea why that yokai targeted me. It didn't say anything about the Yuujinchou… It just wanted to kill me."

The image of the red eyes and the long neck were still there, haunting him every time he blinked. Natsume turned the hair drier towards the fat cat, who closed his eyes to enjoy the warmth of the blowing air.

"It must have sensed strong spiritual power from you, that's why," Nyanko-sensei said.

"I don't think that's it." Natsume shook his head.

Just then, a happy, ringing sound echoed in the room, startling both of them. Natsume turned off the hair drier and listened carefully. "That's… somebody's calling me!" he realized and got up, scurrying to his desk, where the white cell phone vibrated demandingly, screen bright and angry.

"What kind of ridiculous sound was that?" the cat remarked smugly.

"Shh, be quiet Sensei-" he pressed the green button that appeared and put the phone close to his ear. "Hello? Ah, Nishimura!"

Nyanko-sensei yawned with indifference and settled down on his green pillow.

"No, I did… Yes… Halloween? How-… Yes….I see… I have never watched one… It's the truth!... I guess it wouldn't be bad… I'll ask…Sure, why not?... Well, it's no wonder he said that… Math huh… Wait a minute."

Natsume searched the mess of scattered books for his math book. Nyanko-sensei decided that it was all too boring and ignored the rest of the chit-chat about some homework that they had been given. At last, Natsume put down the cell phone and sighed.

"Nishimura invited me to his house for Halloween."

"I have no idea what that Hellowin may be but good for you."

"We're going to watch a very scary movie… wait, what was the title again?" Natsume held his chin in thought.

"Oh? Scary movie? Will there be food?"

"Sensei-" Natsume started threateningly.

"I was only kidding, good grief…" Nyanko-sensei played innocent.

"Anyway, why are you sitting on there while you're wet you stupid cat?"

"Who are you calling stupid, you cruel slave-driver! You're the one who insisted I take a bath! Normally, I would be sleeping by now!"

Natsume let the hot air hit Nyanko's face with full force when he turned on the hair drier again. He amused himself with the cat's reaction, which was to hiss and choke from his own saliva. But all of the sudden, he stopped laughing and his expression darkened. He turned the power of the device down a bit.

"Sensei… I've been meaning to talk to you about that dream."

"Not today. I'm tired." Nyanko-sensei replied in his usual demeanour. But the refusal was clear and loud. Nyanko-sensei was reluctant when it came to discussing his past.

"What if I dream _that_ again tonight? What if it gets worse?"

"You're worrying too much."

They sat in silence, the only sound being the hair drier. When the cat was all dry and extremely fluffy, Natsume turned off the lights and made sure that his cell phone was charging. As he bent down to get underneath the warm covers of his futon, he heard his door slide open.

"Takashi-kun? You're still awake?" Touko-san's concerned face showed up, amidst the light from the hallway.

"I was just getting to bed…"

"Oh, I see. Is everything alright?"

"Yes…"

"If something happens, come and wake us up, ok? Don't hesitate."

"Thank you, Touko-san." He smiled at her, the woman he loved like a mother.

She smiled back and slowly closed the door. "Good night."

Natsume finally lied down and Nyanko-sensei hopped on the blanket, curling up in the little curve that Natsume's legs formed. "Go to sleep already. Stop worrying about a little dream."

"Good night, Sensei."

"Pfeh. Whatever."

Natsume slept quicker than the cat did. Nyanko-sensei's eyes remained closed, but his ears stood up for a long time. He was thinking that, no matter what, those troublesome dreams were going to stop. And he knew just the guy for the job… That yokai's name was in the Yuujinchou too. There was no reason for him to refuse to help out.

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.

.

Natsume woke up abruptly, having sensed a sudden shift as if he had fallen from the second floor to the first. He lifted his head and, still hugging his pillow, tried to force his eyelids to open. Had there been a small earthquake perhaps?

"Nyanko-sensei?"

No response.

He finally realized what was wrong and blinked.

"Eh?"

Wiped his eyes and blinked again.

This was not his room. It clearly was a child's bedroom, judging by the light green ceiling with a big poster of a dinosaur and the toy cars that were scattered on a red striped carpet. He was lying in a foreign, too small bed, covered by a foreign red blanket, clutching a foreign pillow.

"Eh?!"

Just where in the world was he?

* * *

It was a little short, I know, and WHY A CLIFFHANGER AGAIN?

But I can tell you're going to love the next chapter. Trust me on this. I've been planning it since chapter six.

Edit(15 days later, while writing next chapter): Actually, I ended up altering everything so I'm not sure that you're going to love it, but I think you'll at least find it an ok chapter... Probably?

Also, I named the chapters! And I think I failed completely, coming up with meaningful names is very difficult. I am going to update chapters without names from now on, and come back later to name them. So I will be glad to receive any suggestions for the names of the future chapters (or the ones already named, if you have any better ideas). Or do you think that they're ok as they are?

Until next time! **Thank you very much for your love and support!**


	11. Dreams in a Stomach

Oof, earlier-than-usual update!

Warning; somewhat failed attempt at writing a 'feels' chapter!

Off you go then, three, two, one, READ!

* * *

He was really, really, really confused. Just how had he ended up at this house? Had he actually sleepwalked? He was still in his red pyjamas… But they weren't dirty, so he couldn't have walked barefoot all the way, surely…

"Did Sensei decide to pull a prank?" he mumbled, softly stepping on the surprisingly cold carpet. He'd pluck the whiskers of the fat cat for the twisted sense of humour.

Tip-toeing and still holding onto the pillow, much like a little naughty child trying to make it to the box of cookies in the kitchen without being noticed by his parents, he maneuvered around the toy cars and made it to the door, which had dozens of stickers stuck on it from the floor all the way up to a little bellow Natsume's shoulders; as high as a little mischievous child could reach.

He grabbed the cold knob and gulped, listening carefully for any footsteps. He really didn't want to frighten the poor people who lived in this house in case they happened to be walking right outside in the hallway.

Slowly, he twisted it. The door creaked awfully loudly and opened just an inch. Natsume held his breath and moved his head to see-

There was something, right there, staring at him with large brown eyes-

Gently, he closed the door again, took a step back, breathed in, then collapsed on the floor, miraculously not landing on any toys. He felt dizzy from the abrupt acceleration of his heartbeat, his skin started to sweat.

"I did not mean to startle you."

The voice was deep and old, soft as wool, a bit muffled as it was coming from behind the door. Natsume's fingers dug into the carpet.

"Please excuse me. I was engaged in a hunt when you called for me. It was a weak call, almost foreign-that is quite unlike you, Reiko. What do you wish to ask of me?"

So it was an ayakashi that knew Reiko…

Natsume took a deep breath, finally calming down. He glared at the closed door. The fact that the creature had not tried to get in showed its politeness. "I am sorry, but I'm not Reko. Reiko is my grandmother. She passed away years ago. I am Natsume Takashi, her grandson." He explained in the clearest, most neutral tone he could master.

"Her grandson… Of course, it's been so very long… I am sorry for your loss, Reiko's grandson." The voice said, lacking any malice. It was pure concern.

Natsume suddenly felt a tingling sensation under his palm and glanced down. He yelped, immediately withdrawing his arm.

"What's happening?"

Little bits of carpet started to turn into black bits and float away into the void. The bed was already gone. The green walls looked like they were melting. The toy cars were dissolving, one after the other…The entire room was crumbling.

"Right now, you are at a child's dream which I am feasting upon. This is not your dream however and if you were to disappear here, you wouldn't be able to ever return."

"A child's dream…" a stunned Natsume repeated, looking around incredulously.

The sensation of falling hit him again. Natsume lost his balance and closed his eyes, blinded by the colors that swirled around him vibrantly, at a speed faster than his eyes could follow. It was like a vortex of images had suddenly swept him off his feet with force.

Then everything stopped moving and he found himself panting and heaving on all four, ready to pour out his dinner on the white tiles of a public bathroom. He coughed hard, but nothing came out thankfully. The stagnant, acid smell of unclean toilets made Natsume's nose wrinkle with disgust. The floor was oily and slippery at touch, probably filthier then he would like to know.

Natsume stood up and wiped the edge of his mouth with the back of his hand. His eyes moved to observe his surroundings. Yellowish walls, vandalized with cusses, bathroom stalls of which at least two had no door. A row of sinks at his left, with cracked or stained mirrors above.

He focused on the mirror closest to him. His own yellow-orange eyes were reflected on there, his hair was a mess, he thought. But there was another thing on the mirror, standing right behind him.

"It is safe here for now." The creature spoke.

Natsume span around so fast that he almost lost balance.

The creature was big, towering over him by at least four heads. Its gigantic head was even touching the ceiling. A tusk twitched slightly below its big, animal-like brown eyes. It had a rich mane of caramel colour, descending down its back in a thin line, all the way to the fluffy tip of a grey tail. Its body had no fur or hair other than that. Its belly was grey with lighter spots, and its paws had large, sharp claws that were a bit pinkish and transparent, like a cat's.

"Baku…" Natsume stuttered, taking a step back.

Creatures like the one before him were famous among people. Baku were said to eat bad dreams.

Over the years, however, Natsume had never once met such a creature. He had seen countless nightmares, but nothing ever came to his aid. So he reached the conclusion that this famous baku didn't exist. It was just a misunderstanding. People often misunderstood when it came to ayakashi.

"I am indeed called that." The baku replied and its tusk trembled as its deep voice echoed in the bathroom.

Natsume realized that his dumbfounded staring was rude and withdrew his gaze. "Where is this?" he asked.

"Another dream, a dream that I was planning on eating. What did you wish to ask of me, Reiko's grandson?"

Natsume thought about it for a while in silence. This wasn't right. "I'm not the one who called for you."

"I see. That explains why it was such a pathetic summon. If it wasn't you then… could it be, that troublesome Madara?"

Natsume flinched. The baku's eyes narrowed.

"So it was him. I'm assuming you did not agree to this. He must have used Reiko's leftover power. It amuses me immensely to see that he took a liking to you as well, even after all the tantrums he threw about Reiko being the last person he'd ever bow to."

The baku laughed, a hearty, deep laughter that could easily have been that of a fat old man with rosy cheeks. But its eyes refocused, and it regained that certain look of superiority.

"Well, so be it. Tell me, Reiko's grandson, do you have the Yuujinchou?"

Natsume slowly nodded.

"It is a fretful thing, that book. If it falls into the wrong hands, disaster will follow."

Natsume didn't know how to respond, other than lowering his head. The baku's remarks were purposely so. It was trying to test him.

"I would like to return your name."

"For what purpose? What do you have to gain from it?"

Natsume looked up calmly.

The baku observed the firmness, the fiery, yet tranquil, gleam in his eyes.

"It may be arrogant of me, but may I express a request to the esteemed grandson of Reiko? If you see to my wish, I will swear loyalty. Of course, I will accept refusal with no remaining ill feelings."

Another test, it seemed.

"Which will it be, Reiko's grandson?"

Natsume was aware that, even though the creature's name was in the Yuujinchou, it was still to be revered. So he bowed with heartfelt respect and closed eyes.

"If it is something humanly possible, I will try to help."

The baku tapped its claws on the white square tiles. Its brown eyes softened.

"I want you to help me search through the dreams I've devoured. There is a certain dream I want to find. A dream about a beautiful willow by a lake. It is very old, but surely, it hasn't yet disappeared. Surely, I will be able to give it back… surely" the baku's voice lowered.

And then it opened its large mouth and a startled Natsume found himself being swallowed by the creature.

" _Just clap your hands."_

.

.

.

The baku had granted him access to the devoured dreams. How exactly it worked, Natsume didn't understand, but sure enough, every time he'd clap his hands, he would be instantly transported to another dream.

Most dreams were fading away, with missing parts, or colourless objects. Dreams, in general, were vague, but these were ready to disappear, forgotten inside the baku's stomach. Some were still vivid, the fresh ones. And for the past hour, he had visited countless decaying dream worlds. His hands had gotten sore and red from all the clapping. He felt incredibly tired from the process, having experienced various unpleasant jump scares from the scary things that people's unconsciousness created.

Natsume sighed tiredly as he came face to face with a gigantic red spider which screeched threateningly, wriggling its hairy legs. Normally, he would be scared… but the spider was actually hilarious to look at, having a rather cartoonish appearance and a smiley face replacing its head. Whatever kid this dream used to belong to had no idea what spiders actually looked like.

He gritted his teeth to prepare for the irritating feeling of falling and clapped his hands.

The colours swirled and the spider was replaced by a very long and narrow road. There was a bus station at the end, where a bus had just arrived and was loaded with passengers. Natsume looked down at his feet. He was wearing pointy black shoes and formal trousers. In his hand, there was a briefcase. Probably the dream of someone who was late for work.

He clapped his hands.

A car, falling into the void from a cliff-

He yelped with surprise and clapped his hands.

There was no pen to write the test with-

Again he clapped his hands.

The next one was one of the truly bad ones.

Natsume looked at the people around him with a sad frown. They were all clad in black. And although the faces were erased, since the dream was old and ready to disappear, he could tell that they were crying from the sobs that echoed in the white, fading dream. Other than the people, the only thing still having form was a picture with a brown frame. An old man was flashing a cheeky smile at him, grinning for forever.

Instead of clapping his hands right away, Natsume stayed silent for a few minutes, paying his respects.

This was the first funeral he had come across in the baku's stomach.

There were so many people out there in the world, crying for their loved ones. He wished that the moment would never come for him or anyone near him to experience such a loss, although it was sure to come.

He could have died when Madoka took him away. He would have never seen Touko-san's face again. He would have never heard Shigeru-san's car rumble as it would enter the yard again. He would have never bickered with Nyanko-sensei about anything again. He would have never played cards with his friends again, or gone fishing, or cycling. He…

Touko-san, Shigeru-san, his friends… they'd all cry so much.

Natsume didn't want to die.

And he didn't want anyone else to die either.

The Fujiwara couple would get older. Touko-san's back would start hurting and she'd need Takashi's help to hang the clothes. Shigeru-san's eyesight would get worse, and he'd need a new pair of glasses. They'd go on fewer trips because they wouldn't be able to walk long distances anymore. But he'd still be visiting them often –because he'd be older and would have his own apartment by then, or even a family, even if that sounded ridiculous at the moment. They would talk about the weather, and other trivial every-day things, and some days, maybe, they'd get into small arguments and make up after. All together, they would eat Touko-san's fried shrimp and laugh at Nyanko-sensei's fat belly, and shoot fireworks at the festival, and watch a silly film that would make them laugh so much that their lungs would hurt for hours.

And then, one day, they'd disappear from his life, just like the smiling old man in the picture. And Natsume would be alone again.

The boy wiped away the hot tears that streamed down his pale cheeks and suppressed his sniffling. With one last glance at the picture, he clapped his hands to jump to the next dream, hoping that it would be the one he was searching for.

He was standing on top of a tall, tall tower-

Another clap.

An angry dog, growling-

Another clap.

There was a gun in his hand, and the floor was covered with red-

Another quick clap.

An unknown man, kissing another woman-

Natsume clapped quickly, feeling guilty for having seen a part of someone else's private life.

A chainsaw-

Clap.

He was standing naked in a classroom-

Quick clap.

And clap and clap and clap.

And then he couldn't clap anymore because he found himself frozen from fear.

The suffocating smell of tobacco and alcohol scorched his nostrils and throat. A metallic, battered fan was shrieking electrically in the corner, too old and dangerous. The walls were stained yellow from the cigarette smoke, but no one could tell since the lights were never on in that room. Only the white glow of the television that played nonstop all day and night helped him trace the shape of a skinny woman who slowly rose from a double bed.

Natsume felt significantly shorter and powerless in her presence. She walked towards him confidently, and something about her clenched fists stirred an intuitive fear within him. Natsume took a few steps back until his back collided with the wall. A dead end.

Why did he feel like his heart would pop out of his chest? Why did this woman scare him so much?

"I heard about what happened in school. The principal called. The principal. Do you know what that means? Do you?"

A strong hand grabbed Natsume's upper arm and shook him violently. The woman's long pink nails dug into his flesh.

"I have to give the boy's parents all this money because of you! I have to apologize to them for something you did. And what did you do? You went and broke another kid's arm, like a brutal punk."

Natsume stared at what was supposed to be the shadow's face with scared wide eyes. She put so much pressure in her grip and he just wanted to break free, to get away from her, but she was too powerful and strong. He was a little child, and she was an adult.

"I need to teach you some manners. Want to play violent; I'll play violent too. We'll see how you treat others after this."

He remembered.

This was back when he was little, in the first years of elementary. There was a very scary thing following around another student of his age. That day in the park, he told the other kid that something bad would happen to him. And soon enough, it happened. The kid broke his arm. But the problem is, he took Natsume's warning as a threat, and when he discovered that his arm was hurting, thought that he was the cause for everything.

When Natsume got back at that wretched house, he was confronted by that woman who hadn't hesitated to raise her hand against him whenever she thought that he had misbehaved. She had been drunk that day and didn't hold back. The neighbours called the police because of the disturbing screams that came from the apartment.

She was taken to the police station and he was taken to a hospital, where a bunch of nurses tended to his broken arm and showered him with hugs and lollipops for the following days that he stayed there until a new home could be found.

"How do you like this? Let me see you do it to another kid again!"

Natsume felt the pressure grow and he cried out helplessly. The bone would snap if this went on. Why him? Why did it have to be him? Why did everyone hate him? Why did he have to be alone?

' _Takashi-kun…'_

Touko-san .

That's right. Touko-san wasn't like that, neither was Shigeru-san. He wasn't alone anymore. He had people that loved him now. There was nothing to be afraid of.

Natsume opened his eyes. He was tall again, in his actual age again. The woman was still holding his arm, but it was a weak and pathetic grip. He was not afraid of her anymore. He broke away with ease, like walking away from a handshake, and the woman didn't put up a fight. Her hand fell limply to her side. She was frozen. A frozen figure, a nightmare that he had defeated. The shadows were already dissolving.

Touko-san and Shigeru-san were waiting for him. He had to find the baku's dream and wake up in time to eat breakfast… and scold that fat cat for the trouble he had gotten him into. No manjuus for Nyanko-sensei for at least two weeks.

' _Everyone's waiting.'_

He'd go back home. They were still there. They were okay. He was okay.

Natsume clapped his hands loudly, with all the passion that he had used when returning yokai names.

The environment shifted and a strong wind blasted his face, slicking his hair back and exposing his forehead. He squinted, waiting for the free-falling sensation to stop.

Finally, the shapes and colours settled.

Natsume stared in awe at the most beautiful willow he would ever come across. Its thin branches dripped, as if heavy from the slick leaves that covered them. The leaves glistened with such brightness under the strong sunlight, pouring a checkered shade over the soft stubble of grass at the tree's roots, which had slithered on the earth and dug into it like tiny snakes. Half of the tree was submerged into the water of a lake that had a surface so still where even the sun was perfectly reflected, round and bright, instead of a sparkling undefined body. However, there was not much to see beyond that; the background had faded away completely. It was just the willow and the small part of the lake. Not even the sky, where the real sun was supposed to be, had survived the passage of time into the Baku's stomach.

Why would this be considered a bad dream? It was the exact opposite. Natsume slowly trudged towards the willow.

There was someone lying flatly in the shade, he noticed. A young girl, with long caramel hair that was spread on the grass like a spider cob, and in the middle, a sleeping face so peaceful that it seemed almost wrong… like she was dead. A chill run down Natsume's spine. He kneeled down next to her.

"Reiko-san… but this isn't her."

It looked like her, but Natsume knew that it wasn't. Her beauty was that of a dream, fake and bittersweet.

In between blinks, he could catch the glimpse of another woman, an elderly lady that he had never before seen in his life. This was somebody else's dream, and the woman over there was probably that person's grandmother. But because it was fading away, the dream had tried to compensate for the void before Natsume's eyes by replacing the woman with another that would still hold the same status for the dreamer.

Softly, Natsume tapped the Reiko-look-alike on the shoulder. For a moment, he held his breath anxiously, but then her eyebrows and cheeks twitched, and he sighed with relief. The eyelashes flickered and two light orange orbs were revealed – flashing dark brown for a second.

"What is wrong? Is grandpa not waking up again?" the woman asked and Natsume backed away to allow her some room to stretch and get up. Lazily, like a cat, she yawned and stood up straight, but did not get up from the ground. "What is it, Takashi? Do you have a stomach ache? Your eyes are red and puffy…"

A foreign wrinkly hand reached out to touch his face. But it reverted back to Reiko's as soon as Natsume blinked. He shivered. The hand was cold.

"Why are you crying, Takashi?"

Crying?

Ah… That's right. He was crying.

"Don't cry. Granny is just going to sleep for a long, long time. Don't cry for that, Yukiko."

An old woman with kind brown eyes and deep wrinkles etched on her forehead was staring back at Natsume comfortingly, still holding his face. Her hair was a mix of grey and black, cut short and tied to a small, bushy bun.

"It's ok, Yukiko. I'm fine. You don't have to cry. It ruins your pretty little face. So no more crying, alright? Smile, my dear Yukiko. Laugh and smile every day."

"I'm sorry. I'm not Yukiko." Natsume finally said.

But the woman didn't even blink. "Smile, Yukiko."

Natsume gently grabbed the wrinkly hand and placed it back on the woman's lap. A bittersweet, soft smile touched his lips.

"I'm sure your granddaughter has smiled and laughed countless of times."

"Don't cry, Yukiko." The woman repeated blankly, placing her hand on his shoulder.

Natsume slowly got up, and the hand slid down. The elderly woman looked up at him with big, confused eyes. He walked up to the edge of the lake and let his feet sink in the cool water. Rings of ripples traversed the still surface and the reflection of the sun turned into a sparkling mass.

"I found it," Natsume shouted to the void.

On cue, the boy felt a heavy, hot breath at the back of his neck, ruffling his hair. He turned around. The baku's trunk twitched as if in greeting.

"I found it. I found the dream you were looking for." He repeated.

It blinked with approval. "So it seems."

They stood in silence, observing the willow's branches sway in a nonexistent breeze. The old woman glared at nothingness, an apparition lost in an apparition.

"This dream belongs to a child called Yukiko." Natsume said.

"Indeed."

"Yukiko's grandma passed away."

"Yes."

"That was a long time ago, wasn't it."

It was no question. The baku slowly turned to glance at him.

"I ate this dream many years ago. Back then, the owner of this dream was only a child. But now, the time has come for the dream's owner, just like her grandmother… just like for any of you humans, to pass. This dream is no longer a bad one. It has become something very precious. I need to return it while there still is time."

Natsume remained silent. The woman under the willow kept mumbling sweet words to her beloved Yukiko, even though there was nobody that her words could reach.

"If you so wish it, Reiko's grandson…"

Natsume blinked and glanced at the baku.

"If you so wish, I can give you back a dream you had when you were little, about a man that looked like an older version of yourself. I've eaten that dream dozens of times so it must be really important."

Natsume's breath was caught in his throat. The baku continued.

"I want to thank you for your help, so if you wish, I can give that dream to you, and you can do whatever you want with it. You can relive it every night. You will never have to part with your long-lost loved one again."

He looked down at the water, where his feet from ankle and below were submerged, and wiggled his toes, relishing the sensation of mud on his skin. The baku waited patiently for its answer.

Gradually, a smile found its way on Natsume's face.

"Thank you for the offer, but I cannot accept it. But I do have another favour to ask… Could you keep this dream for me, until I'm older?"

The baku's eyes narrowed. It sighed through a rumbling trunk and its small tail wiped the air.

"If that is your wish, then I shall gladly keep the dream safe for you, Reiko's grandson."

"Thank you."

Its mouth started to open. "I shall take you back to your reality then."

"I also want to thank you for all those times you got rid of bad dreams for me. I didn't know. Please allow me to return your name to show my gratitude."

The advance of the gaping mouth stopped.

"If you are willing to return my name, I ought to repay you with more. How about… That's right. I bet that's why that idiot Madara called me. If any nightmares do visit you, I'll make sure that none reach you at night."

And then he was enveloped by darkness.

.

.

.

"Stupid cat!"

"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Hey! Let go of my ear! What is this treatment I get first thing in the morning?" Nyanko-sensei loudly protested at his ear being yanked.

Natsume shook the fat maneki cat angrily. "You summoned the baku, didn't you? I didn't even know you could do that! And why didn't you ask me first, you lazy bodyguard?"

"You were told that it was me? Sheesh, no sense of discretion at all?"

"You're going to explain all of that, Sensei!"

"Relax you idiot! I just used the remains of Reiko's power which she entrusted me with to summon the dream-eater since you didn't seem eager to do anything about it. I deserve a thank you and four extra bowls of food, to say the least!"

"But now that the baku is going to eat my nightmares, I will never know what became of Reiko-san…"

"Is that what you're worried about?" Nyanko-sensei growled. "Seriously, you're hopeless. What do you think I'm here for? I will tell you all about it when I see fit, you just have to be a little bit patient, it's not much that I'm asking for. Now get down on your knees and apologize to me! I have decided that from now on you owe me at least ten extra bowls for your insolence! I'm going to go live with that Tanuma kid, who doesn't mistreat me like you do! If you bring me ten manjuus as a peace offering, I may consider returning back to-"

"Don't push it, Nyanko-sensei. Or no manjuus for a month." Natsume threatened as he let go of the cat and grabbed his school uniform to dress.

"What? Do you think that will stop me? I'll steal your wallet and go buy them myself!"

"As if they'd ignore the fact that a talking cat would offer some high school student's wallet in exchange for sweets and kindly give them to you." Natsume clumsily buttoned his shirt.

"Ha! Wait and see! I'll shape-shift if I have to! Nothing is keeping me away from those manjuus!"

"Takashi-kun! Breakfast is ready!" Touko-san's voice came from downstairs.

"Coming!" Natsume replied and slid the door open.

"Don't you ignore me!" Nyanko-sensei yelled and trotted along the corridor.

Natsume bent down and with one swift movement lifted the heavy ayakashi up. Nyanko-sensei rested his fluffy round head on the boy's arms, sighing.

"You will give some manjuus to your bodyguard, won't you?"

"There's no helping it anyway, right?" Natsume sighed, rubbing the cat's belly. "I'll buy you some on my way home."

Nyanko-sensei purred intentionally.

Natsume entered the kitchen.

Shigeru-san was reading the morning newspaper, absent-mindedly nibbling on some bread. Touko-san, who had been washing the dishes from the previous night, turned around to greet him with a big smile, having heard the loud hop of the cat that jumped on the floor from Natsume's arms.

"Good morning, Takashi!" Shigeru-san lowered his newspaper.

Nyanko-sensei meowed loudly to make his hunger known.

"Oh, you buttoned your shirt wrong!" Touko-san exclaimed with a playful chuckle.

Natsume felt his cheeks flush red. He looked down, only to confirm that he had skipped one button, which meant that each button was at the wrong place, and half of the shirt hanged lower than the other, quite awkwardly. His fingers went to the buttons, but due to his panic, it was difficult to fix anything.

Touko-san wiped her hands on a nearby towel and approached him. "Here, here, I'll do it."

He felt like the warmth of his cheeks was radiating. Natsume avoided making eye contact as the woman's hands worked to fix the disaster.

Nobody had ever fixed his shirt for him.

Emotionally charged from the wild night, Natsume then did something that he had never even considered a possibility.

He hugged her.

Touko-san's arms met behind his back, having fixed the mess. She smiled.

And then Natsume realized what he had done and felt his knees weaken. Quickly, he moved away from her.

"I hope I get that reaction when I fix your tie for the first time, Takashi." Shigeru-san said with an amused smirk and took a loud sip of coffee, breaking the silence.

With his heart still racing in his chest, from immense happiness at having hugged another person for the first time in forever, and from immense embarrassment at having hugged another person for the first time in forever, Natsume robotically sat down opposite Shigeru-san and tried to calm himself down.

"I've made some food for you as well, hungry kitty," Touko-san announced, placing a bowl of food on the floor. Nyanko-sensei rushed to it and shoved his face into it.

"Shigeru-san, Touko-san…"

They looked at him with curiosity. Natsume breathed out, finally relaxing. He glanced at them with sincere honey-coloured eyes.

They were there for him now. And he would always, if possible, be there for them. The future was scary, but it was just as exciting. He'd gather lots and lots of happy memories, and treasure them all until the end.

"… _Thank you."_

* * *

Hehe, this was a purely 'feels' chapter. I hope you liked it! And of course, there could be no cliffhanger here. Tell me what you thought of it! Was it an ok attempt, or should I just stick to the drama and action? (I mean, it's not much of a drama and action anyway, it's just general, or is it not?)

I thought that Natsume's fear of losing those around him should be explored. After all, he did lose both of his parents and had been through many traumatic experiences ever since. Now that Madoka is on the loose, the threat is greater. And I freaking love writing the relationship between Natsume and Touko-san, she really is like a mother to him! And Shigeru-san will have to show a little bit more of his 'dad' side, I'll hopefully come up with some great ideas later on... Oh, and that scene of abuse was there because, well, it is very likely that Natsume had to go through that, don't you think? It was mentioned that he had been around some sake-smelling people in an episode, I think...

Also, next chapter will feature the scary thriller movie night at Nishimura's house, so that's two chapters in a row where the plot doesn't really progress, but I'll pick it up soon, don't worry!

Oh, and a quick note, which is going to sound very morbid; If this fanfic isn't updated for a year, then you have my permission to take it and use it and write it and whatever else you want to do with it, because I will either be dead or just have given up on it. Hopefully, none of the two will happen. I'm just putting this here to ensure that you guys get a continuation no matter what! And I'm definitely not planning to give up on this fanfic! A radical change would be needed, like my home getting destroyed by a fire, or whatever. Though, to be honest, even if my house were to burn down, I wouldn't be affected that much...

Anyhow, thank you for your reviews and support! Always a source of motivation and joy!

Till next time!


	12. Red Cold Flowers

**Update: I tried to fix things but I think I messed it up some more... Sorry! Thank you for your reviews so much! I may end up changing this chapter more soon.**

Hello everyone! I hope you're well and that your November was fun.

This chapter rolls slowly towards the end and it sort of ends with a cliffhanger...

What else can I say, other than thank you? Thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you, so, so, so, so much! For reading, following, reviewing, in general, being there! Thank you for being there and reading this story!

Here you go, chapter 11... Enjoy!

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"So, which is it?" Natsume asked with a slight frown, impatiently tapping his finger on the white cell phone that he had been pressing against his ear for a while now.

" _I don't know anymore! Kitamoto is so indecisive!"_

" _I am? I told you from the start, lemonade!"_

" _I thought you said that you wanted anything other than lemonade though?"_

" _See? Tanuma heard you too."_

" _But you said you haven't had lemonade lately, and I said fine!"_

"Um…" Natsume mumbled, but the voices on the other end were incomprehensible. "I'm just going to buy different things for everyone then…"

There was a soft bumpy sound as someone picked up the phone.

" _Hey Natsume, it's me, Tanuma. I totally agree with that idea."_

Natsume smiled. He could still hear Kitamoto and Nishimura arguing in the background. "See you soon then."

" _Yeah. Bye."_

" _Hey, Tanuma, wait! Don't hang up with him ye-_

Tanuma had hanged up, unfortunately for the other two. Natsume sighed and shoved the cell phone back into his brown coat's pocket, refocusing on the colorful rows of cans in the refrigerator in front of him. A cheerful, relaxing music was playing in the aisles of the convenience store.

"Lemonade… what else? Let's see… Juice? Too healthy…"

"Excuse me… You're Natsume Takashi, right?"

Natsume, who had reached for a soda, already hugging a couple of lemonades clumsily with the other hand, glanced over his shoulder with confusion. Who could it be that had recognized him in this store of another neighborhood?

It was a young man, in his thirties it seemed. He smiled toothily for the few seconds that Natsume took to squint at him, until finally remembering the face. It was one of the two policemen that had escorted him home when he left from the hospital.

He was off duty for the day, the policeman told him. He was buying ingredients for his little daughter's birthday. Chocolate cake was her favourite. She wanted rainbow sprinkles on top, and pink napkins for the guests, the man also explained, earning a chuckle from the teen.

"How has everything been? Any problems at home lately?"

"Problems?" Natsume repeated.

There was a brief moment of awkward silence.

"No, no, it's nothing. I'm sure you'd tell us if there were any. The Fujiwara look like good people."

"Yes. They are." Natsume nodded with a smile.

"I'm glad…So, I have to go home soon and hide everything in a high-enough cupboard" the policeman gestured to his cart "Enjoy your movie night. And no wandering around at night, alright?"

Natsume couldn't help but picture the policeman's little girl, bursting into giggles when she'd blow the three candles on top of a colorful, chocolate cake. Celebrating birthdays was a relatively new experience for him. If he hadn't been taken in by the Fujiwara couple, he wouldn't know what it meant to be surrounded by people that smiled at you when you were eating a slice of birthday cake.

' _Any problems at home lately?'_

Of course not. Now, he had the chance to celebrate as many birthdays he had lost. The only problem that there could ever be, was Nyanko-sensei eating the cake before it reached the table.

Lost in his thoughts, Natsume almost strode past Nishimura's house. He spun around on his heels and felt the plastic bag with all the drinks crash against his legs because of the momentum. He walked up to the door and rang the bell, already hearing some muffled shouts from inside.

At last, the door flung open and Nishimura appeared, with his hair all messed up and… holding a pillow. His eyes darted to the bag in Natsume's hands and he smiled happily.

"Natsume! Thanks for bringing these! Quickly, come in! We're having a pillow fight!"

"Eh? But wait, I need to take my coat off!"

He practically threw his shoes at the entrance. Nishimura took the bags from his hands and his body went up and down excitedly, urging Natsume to hurry up.

"Is anybody else here?" Natsume listened closely to make out any other noises, besides the yells that came from the floor upstairs.

"Family's not here today. We have the whole house to ourselves." Nishimura said with a mischievous smirk.

"Think fast!"

"Waah!"

A brown pillow slammed right into Natsume's face, with such force that it almost knocked him off his feet. Nishimura sneered loudly by his side. Tanuma, who was responsible, trotted down the stairs with a cocky smirk.

Natsume rubbed his stinging eyes."Tanuma, what the-"

"Don't worry Natsume! I'll avenge you!" Kitamoto bellowed heroically from the top of the staircase and hurled another pillow right into Nishimura.

"Hey, what did I do?" the boy complained in between his giggles.

Natsume grinned playfully and picked up the brown pillow from the floor.

The neighbors wouldn't get much sleep that night, not with the group of boys, running around and yelling like hyperactive sugar fed five-year-olds. Oh well.

.

.

.

Natsume had never before seen a movie like that. It was quite old, 'an undiscovered gem of older times', Nishimura had said when he pressed the play button, but that just meant that the special effects looked strange and unrealistic. The actors did a fairly good job with their roles though. The music was chilly and tense, always playing at the correct moments.

Yet Natsume didn't bat an eyelash at any of the times that the blood-soaked, kimono-wearing woman appeared on screen. She was supposedly a spirit that loathed men, and so had targeted a youth camp, killing both boys and girls that liked them. But to Natsume, the whole idea was just ridiculous. He couldn't help but imagine Hinoe running around the camp and yelling threatening gibberish at night, while the teenagers cheerfully kept telling stories around the fire and eating marshmallows, unable to see her in the first place. Even if she were to dance the hula around the fire and shove her face into theirs, they wouldn't know a thing. It just wouldn't work out.

Nishimura on the other hand, had fallen on Natsume's side and was squeezing his upper arm, wailing continuously at all the scary scenes. Kitamoto kept munching on chips throughout the movie, but every time that the murderous woman appeared, his chewing became faster and louder, until Nishimura decided to throw his sock at him to make him quiet down. Tanuma twitched with unease at every jump scare.

At last, the remaining group of teenagers managed to seal the monstrous spirit into a basement of a shed lost in the woods. But the movie ended on quite a pessimistic note, showing that many years later, the talismans on the basement's door were starting to fall off while the door rattled ominously.

The TV screen showed black and white dots for a few seconds and then turned black. The boys remained frozen on the couch. The movie was over.

"What was up with that ending? Totally unnerving… Why don't you go turn the lights on, Kitamoto?" Nishimura suggested, breaking the silence. The only light came from the window outside, thanks to the row of lamps that went down the street.

"This is your house, you do it." Kitamoto replied.

The brunet murmured something about betrayal and lazily got up. Tanuma grabbed the empty bag of chips and looked inside with a disappointed frown. Kitamoto shrugged apologetically.

"Huh? That's weird. I don't remember turning off the lights in the corridor." Nishimura suddenly spoke, noticing that it wasn't just the living room that had sunk in darkness. Gulping nervously, he tried the switch. But nothing happened. "Um… guys…"

Natsume stopped sipping lemonade and glanced at him. "What's wrong, Nishimura?"

"The lights, they won't turn on!"

"For real? Is that the best you could think of? Nice try." Kitamoto scoffed.

"No, I'm serious!" Nishimura frantically tapped on the switch and the sound echoed in the room.

The mood dropped significantly. The smiles slowly disappeared from their faces. The lights had gone out at the exact moment that the film finished. There was no grown up in the house. The front door was unlocked.

"Do you have any torches?" Tanuma asked.

"I think so. But they're in the kitchen."

"Let's all go together." Natsume suggested and the others nodded, barely seeing each other in the sickly, faint light.

After deciding to put Nishimura in the front to lead the way despite his vigorous protests, and Natsume at the back because he seemed to be the one less affected by the movie, they formed a line and trudged through the total darkness of the corridor. Truth was, Natsume was beginning to feel his heartbeat accelerate too. Why was the collar of his shirt feeling tight all of a sudden?

' _This is a bit worrying… but exciting and fun at the same time,'_ he admitted to himself.

In the kitchen, there was a thin line of light projected on the wall opposite the window that was above the sink. A few unwashed plates waited patiently under the faucet. Nishimura pulled the curtains apart, and some more light came in. He sighed with relief and started to search through the cupboards and drawers. Tanuma leaned in closer to look.

"This one's not working… I think there are some spare batteries- yep, here they are. Hey, how about some candles?"

"We're not setting the mood, Nishimura." Kitamoto rolled his eyes.

"Oh come on, that's exactly what we're doing."

"What?"

"You know, the Halloween mood! What did you think I was referring to?"

Natsume and Tanuma snickered in the corner and Kitamoto shot them a deathly glare.

"I found a lighter." Natsume announced innocently and held up the green rectangular object.

A bright orange flame sprouted from the lighter in Natsume's hands, shedding a brighter, dark yellow light on the boys' faces. Nishimura nodded with approval.

They lined the candles on the kitchen table and lit them up one by one (Nishimura almost burned his finger at the first one). Soon, the whole kitchen was well lit and smelling like jasmine. The flames were flickering reassuringly.

"In the end, I think Kitamoto was right…" Tanuma whispered to Natsume and pointed to the candles. "I mean, they're aromatic candles…"

Natsume tried to contain his laughter and only moved his head up and down affirmatively, making incoherent noises.

"Isn't anybody going to come home soon? It's getting pretty late." Kitamoto asked, ignoring his snorting friend.

"Nah, they're all gone. They went to visit my aunt who lives in the next town and they're spending the night there." Nishimura explained.

"We should probably lock the door then. And the windows. Just to be safe." Tanuma mumbled.

"What?" Nishimura smirked deviously and teasingly nudged him. "Are you scared?"

"H-Hey, guys…" Kitamoto suddenly interrupted.

"Hm? What's wrong? You sound like you're going to pull a prank or…" Nishimura trailed off, but as he observed the seriousness of his friend's expression, he fell quiet.

The other two boys curiously turned to look at Kitamoto, whose face had grown significantly pale. His brown eyes were wide open and glazed over by some strong primitive emotion -fear. With trembling lips, silently, he pointed out the window. "Do you see that?" he whispered with a cracking voice.

They all leaned over the sink and pressed their faces against the narrow window. Their heavy breaths fogged up the glass. Four reflections of wide-eyed faces flickered red in the rhythm of the burning candles.

"It's… snowing?" Tanuma exclaimed.

Tiny, dust-like, the silver snowflakes were descending, their path towards earth curved and slow. A thin layer of white had half-coated the grey ground.

Natsume drew in a shaky, shallow breath, earning a questionable glance from Tanuma.

Like sails of pirate ships, the kimono slowly swayed, powered by a slow breeze that was gentle and spoke of lethargy. The red color of the fabric caught the eye and didn't let go; it was the red of apples, of lips, of blood - a mesmerizing swirl of shades. Thin, golden thread formed intricate patterns of flowers and leaves, with such precise detail as if woven by spiders. The heavy cloth was draped on the wearer, covering the slender legs from sight, reaching the ground and mixing with the white snow-dust.

"But it's still too early for snow…" Nishimura skeptically said.

Kitamoto shook his head with short, abrupt movements, and tapped the glass with some irritation. "It's not that. Look, over there…"

"What?" Nishimura frowned with some annoyance and turned to the window again, only to freeze in terror.

Now they were all seeing it. That snake-hipped silhouette was standing absolutely still in the cold, blending in with the motionless background, despite the vibrant, eye-catching kimono. It appeared that if they dared even blink, it would emerge from that stagnant state and dart out of view deftly like a crow. Hair so dark that even under the light of the lonely lamppost, which appeared to shed its weak yellow light only on that frozen figure, seemed like a black hole. A thin-wristed hand, white as the snow around, was holding an open fan over the lower half of a face.

Natsume withheld an instinctive whimper.

Amidst the unevenly trimmed bangs, just above the fan, two round things, eyes, he realized, eyes so lifeless and dead that no light could reach them to reveal their color, had nailed themselves on him with such intensity that he could almost feel them penetrate his skull.

"We, w-we need to lock the door. Now!" the boy managed to get out some words despite the hitched breaths in his suddenly narrow, dry throat.

The shape of the eyes changed, curving upwards. Somehow, Natsume knew that there was a grin concealed by the fan. The very thought of it sent violent shivers down his spine. Every bone felt fractal, vulnerable to the kimono-clad figure's power. The intent to spill blood that was directed to him through those dead round things was sickening and made his stomach turn upside down to tie itself into a nasty little knot, aching and resonating with every heartbeat.

"You're seeing this, right? You're all seeing this, right?" Kitamoto asked with a forced laugh of anything but amusement, in a joking manner.

Natsume suddenly grasped Nishimura by the shoulders and shook him to relay the urgency. The brunet was too terrified to register the gesture. Natsume then shouted roughly: "Nishimura! Where's the key?"

"W-What?" Nishimura started at the sudden austere tone.

"The key to the front door!" Natsume let go of him and took a step back.

"W-we always leave it on the- on the lock…" he stuttered.

With greeted teeth and a desperate gleam in his eyes, Natsume ran out of the kitchen into the pitch black darkness, tripping in the process but luckily not falling harshly on the wooden floorboards. His loud, heavy steps accompanied him.

"I'm coming with you!" Tanuma grabbed the closest candle from the table, but Natsume's cry stopped him.

"No! The windows! Make sure it won't get in!"

"O-Ok!" the raven-haired boy yelled back the reply, then turned to the others. "Nishimura! Kitamoto! Help me out!"

The two brunets stood by the window, their wide eyes stuck on the outside. Then, Nishimura slowly raised a shaking finger and pointed. "Th-That woman… Where did she go?"

"Huh?"

"…she's not there anymore," Kitamoto said with a quaver.

Tanuma felt his heart sink, almost dropping the slow-burning candle from the overwhelming wave of fear that hit him.

 _Skrht!_

The three boys necks turned at the same time. They glared at the bare ceiling that appeared red from the candlelight.

The sound, like a branch banging against a window, sounded again.

Tanuma thought for a second that the red kimono-wearing yokai would break through the floor and pounce on them.

 _Skrht!_

"What the hell is going on?" Nishimura wondered out loud.

A shadow dashed into the kitchen with a cry, and the three boys screamed simultaneously.

"It's me!" Natsume raised his hands up in the air to calm down his friends. They were terrified. "I locked the door."

"Something's upstairs." Tanuma informed him.

Now they were all glaring at the red ceiling, remaining silent, afraid to even breathe properly.

 _Skrht!_

Dry mouths. Sweating. The blood being pumped into veins. Twitching. Rapid eye movement.

Cold.

A candle went out and a thin trail of smoke rose into the air.

Cold, cold, cold.

" _aM I BeAuTiFuL?"_

 _cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold_

" _Am I bEaUtIfUl?"_

 _cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold, cold_

.

.

"Mu!"

"WAAAAAH!"

Startled, the animal hopped, then landed clumsily on the floor with his short legs. The cat's white ears went down and the fur got frizzy. He bared teeth and hissed back at the boys angrily.

"N-Nyanko sensei?" Natsume exclaimed incredulously.

"Nrrr!" the cat grumbled in response, swiping the air with his claws.

The terrified teens slowly lost their expressions of horror and their shoulders dropped as they sighed in relief. The temperature was back to normal. The soothing smell of jasmine permeated the room again. Outside, the snow was gone without a trace.

With a pop, electricity returned and the house was illuminated.

.

.

.

"S-So… I don't think anybody wants to go to the toilet right now, huh?" Nishimura asked.

They all shook their heads negatively.

"And I don't think any of us want to turn the lights off now…"

Again, they muttered 'no'.

"Actually, I don't think we're going to sleep until sunrise anyway." Kitamoto said and they all nodded and hmhped in agreement.

The boys were tucked under the heavy, thick blankets of their futons, leaving half of their face out. With exhausted, half-closed eyes, they stared at the bright round light bulb above their heads, which shed a comforting light to the room. Nishimura had locked the door and closed the window's shutters for good measure.

"…What the hell was that in the first place?" Nishimura mumbled.

The image of the kimono-clad woman returned to their minds briefly. It was enough to make them feel goosebumps.

"You all heard it right? That whisper…" Kitamoto asked.

"Yeah. It was really freaky. Guys, I'm scared. Maybe I should call my mum and let her know what happened…"

"Will she believe you though?" Tanuma pointed out the problem with that suggestion.

Nishimura sighed. "I don't know, what should we do? That was not something that happens in real life. It certainly is not. The candles made us see things…"

"The candles? Come on! And how come we all saw the same thing?" Kitamoto retorted.

"I don't know! How should I know? That was seriously scary!"

Natsume stayed quiet. His grip on the fluffy cat got tighter as he pressed the warm fur against his chest. He was lying on his side, not looking at the other three. Nyanko-sensei was purring softly and enjoying the warmth, but his sharp cat eyes were wide open, watching the Yuujinchou owner carefully. Natsume's lower lip was trembling, and occasionally, vowels and consonants of unuttered words made their way through the clenched jaws as whispers that only the cat with the sensitive ears could pick up.

"Sensei… it was after me. It almost came inside the house because of me. If you hadn't been there, Nishimura and the others, they'd..."

Nyanko-sensei exhaled deeply.

"Natsume? What do you think we should do?" Tanuma suddenly asked.

Kitamoto and Nishimura also turned to look at their friend, only to find that Natsume had turned his back on them.

"Why me?"

They paused at the strange quality that his voice had taken.

"Why ask me?" he called again, louder. He sounded… angry.

"I just assumed that you might have a good idea. I'm sorry." Tanuma's soft reply came.

The bulk of the blanket shifted as Natsume turned to his other side to look at them. His eyes were a bit watery, and his face was pale and sweaty.

The raven-haired boy smiled faintly. "After all, I think you're the most dependable person in situations like these, as frustrating as it is for me to admit. You're the one who knows best, right?"

"What do you mean, Tanuma?" Kitamoto raised an eyebrow of curiosity. "…about Natsume knowing best?"

Natsume's orange eyes widened. No way. Was Tanuma doing this now? Was he really going to tell them?

Tanuma didn't break the stare he had initiated with the pale blond boy, but his softened expression revealed that he wasn't planning on saying anything more. He had seen that Natsume was not yet ready to say anything.

"I mean, he wasn't as scared as you two were during the movie." Tanuma turned to the other two with a teasing smirk.

"What does that have anything to do with the situation we're in? So what if I was scared? That was nothing! Right now, I'm so much more scared that I think I would wet the futon if one of you suddenly decided to scream to give me a fright." Nishimura whined.

"I'd find that a perfect idea, but I don't think it's appropriate under the circumstances," Kitamoto admitted.

"Man, Natsume, when your cat appeared, I thought I was going to pass out right then and there." Nishimura pointed at the supposedly sound-asleep animal.

" I'm sorry about that." Natsume gave an apologetic smile.

"What should we do now guys? Should we perhaps call the police? Should we call Taki? Sasada? Does anybody know how to deal with these kinds of things?"

"Maybe what we saw was just a cosplayer or something…" Tanuma pulled the blanket down to uncover the rest of his face.

"A cosplayer? And then how would you explain the snow? Or the blackout? What about the sudden temperature drop? Or… that very creepy voice?" Nishimura suddenly stood up. "Aren't you guys scared? I can't sit here like this, we need to do something!"

"I understand where you're coming from, but is there really anything that we can do other than stay awake and hide here until your folks return?" Kitamoto raised his voice a bit.

Natsume turned to the fat Nyanko-sensei, running his hand through the orange and black fur. "Sensei… did it leave?" he asked very quietly.

"…No."

Natsume was not surprised, but he still felt a pang in his heart as the fear resurfaced.

"What should we do? Kitamoto and Nishimura… they're really scared." He shot a glance at his two friends, who were having an argument about who they could possibly call. "That yokai must not get in the house."

"As long as all four of you remain in this room, then I suppose I could keep you weaklings safe for the night."

"Thanks, Sen-"

"But." The cat interrupted, and his eyes burrowed into Natsume's own. "That was a Kuchisake Onna. She's very powerful to show herself to humans. She may have left upon sensing my presence, and right now, she's hesitating to do anything, but she may try to come after you very soon. She's waiting, and I don't like her strategy. It worries me."

Kuchisake Onna. Natsume had never met one, but knew that she was a very popular figure in horror stories. "I don't want to give her back her name." he admitted.

"I'm pretty sure she's not here for that, or the Yuujinchou."

"Is she doing it for fun then?" he angrily whispered.

"Not this time. That bastard's behind this." Nyanko-sensei's lips curled upwards, revealing light pink gums and a row of small teeth, like a sneezing cat. "Madoka, that is. He's behind that encounter you had at your school too, I'm sure. He's running around finding all kinds of shady ayakashi to run errands for him."

"…So it's my fault then."

"Mu?"

"I, I, I need to call Natori-san… ah, but my cell phone is, it's still, still in my bag…"

Why? This was supposed to be a fun movie night with his friends. Why did it have to turn out this way?

"Hey guys, I think we shouldn't be laying in the futons with our clothes on."

The three boys turned to look at Nishimura, who was rummaging through his wardrobe.

"Since most of you left your bags downstairs-"

"It's your fault for surprising us by throwing pillows in our faces." Kitamoto clarified.

"So it happened to you too?" Tanuma huffed.

Nishimura kept his cheerful smile despite those remarks. "Anyway, because you don't have your pajamas with you, I'm lending you mine."

It was obviously an attempt to lighten the atmosphere. They were all pretty shook from the incident. Perhaps changing into something more comfortable would help them to relax and take their minds off things.

"Tanuma and Kitamoto, you're both taller than me, so they might be a little bit short, sorry…" Nishimura handed them a set of blue and green pajamas respectively, then turned to Natsume, who slowly rose from the futon. Nyanko-sensei meowed irritably at his source of warmth moving away and crawled underneath the blanket.

"You can have these, Natsume. We're almost the same height, so I don't think you'll have any difficulties." He presented him with an orange set, then paused. "Hey, are you feeling alright?" he asked and placed a friendly hand on his shoulder, noticing the unsettling gleam in the boy's eyes. "You look a bit down… Look, we'll get through this all together, alright? It probably was a cosplayer after all. Nothing's going to happen. We can take turns in sleeping. So you don't have to worry, alright?"

Natsume blinked. Nishimura was staring at him with big brown eyes full of concern. Even though he was the one who was the most scared in the room… He still managed to look at his friend straight in the eye and declare that everything was going to be okay, despite not believing it.

Natsume took the orange set of pajamas from Nishimura's hands. "Yeah." He stared back at him with renewed determination. "I won't let anything happen. _I promise_."

Kitamoto, Nishimura, and Tanuma looked at him strangely.

"Nmu!" Naynko-sensei meowed loudly, and the sound echoed in the silent room.

Tanuma was the first one to speak. "Well then, let's put them on."

"Ah, that's right."

"Nishimura, these are small!"

"I told you, it's because you're taller."

And that's how Natsume's resolve shattered and he found himself shrinking as the rest of the boys started to undress. Right, to put on clothes, you first had to take clothes off. He played with the edges of his sleeves nervously, an incomprehensible expression popping on his pale face.

"Hm? What's wrong, Natsume?" Kitamoto questioned, seeing as unlike the rest, his friend hadn't taken his shirt off.

"Ah, it's nothing… Just…"

There were three deep, disgusting-looking scars under his shirt. If they were to see them, they would surely…

"I just remembered that since Kitamoto had the bag of chips all for himself, I'm still a bit hungry…" he gave a weak chuckle.

"Is that all?"

"Ah, and, and, I… I'm sorry…" Natsume dropped the act, realizing that it wasn't going to work. They had seen through it and were eyeing him with concern again. His hands that had been trembling finally stopped moving, and he managed to uncurl his clenched fists. "I'm sorry, but could you turn around, please?"

"What's this? Are you embarrassed?" Nishimura raised an eyebrow with amusement. "Come on, we're all men here."

"No, it's… It's not that. The wounds, they still haven't… I mean, they left… scars." he trailed off, and Nishimura's eyes widened as he realized his mistake.

"Oh… I apologize, Natsume, I didn't think-"

"It's ok…" Natsume tried to reassure him with a grin.

"See, that's why I tell you to think before you speak." Kitamoto softly hit Nishimura's head with his hand. "Sure, we'll turn around, Natsume. Just tell us when you're done so that we don't think that the Red Cosplayer has caught you."

"Red Cosplayer? Is that what we're calling her now?"

"Just turn around, doofus."

In unison, three bare backs turned to him.

Natsume remained frozen, dumbfounded for a few seconds. They just stood there, not daring to look at him, still as rocks.

They did this for him, without asking any more questions. He wondered, if they ever were to learn about the things that he could see… Would it be the same? Would Kitamoto and Nishimura stay by his side, just like now? Would a future like that be fun, and hold pleasant to-be memories as well?

He didn't realize when the first tear trickled down his chin and landed on his sock, leaving a wet trail behind for the rest to follow. With a deft movement, he quickly wiped the humidity from his face. Instead of tears, he would give smiles. Lots and lots of smiles.

Be it Madoka or whatever, he would not let anyone take away this happiness.

' _I won't let anything happen to them. Not to my friends, nor Touko-san and Shigeru-san… That's a promise.'_

He made the promise to those he held dear, without them knowing.

If the Kuchisake Onna came, he and Nyanko-sensei would drive her away.

.

.

.

"I can't sleep… I can't sleep like this." Nishimura mumbled.

There were simultaneous sighs of agreement.

"What do you guys think that thing was?"

"I know we agreed to call it the red cosplayer, but it seems a bit far-fetched… Then again, calling it anything but a cosplayer sounds far-fetched as well…" Kitamoto said with a puzzled expression.

"Then, how about 'creepy woman in red'?"

"Does that make any difference?"

"How about 'creepy snow lady'?" Nishimura tried.

"Nah, that would be a Yuki Onna" Tanuma said.

"You're right… Hey, guys, do you think that…"

Nishimura hesitated for some reason. His eyes caught Natsume's, who blinked back with confusion. Nishimura just smiled.

"Actually, never mind… Hey, want to send a rescue team to bring provisions from the kitchen?"

"We'll be sending you then."

"That was cruel, Kitamoto."

"Um…I wouldn't mind going, actually."

They turned to look at their sand-blond friend, who fidgeted nervously with the blanket of his futon.

Nishimura scowled. "I was only kidding, Natsume. It was a joke."

"But, we're all hungry and thirsty…" he timidly opposed.

"Natsume, we have no idea what that thing was. We should just wait here until morning. Nobody's leaving this room." Kitamoto pointed at the door with a trembling finger. "That thing was not human."

"Aren't you getting carried away?" Nishimura gave a half, nervous smile. "What else could it be?"

Kitamoto's arm dropped back on his lap, and he plummeted on his futon with a puff to stare at the comforting light bulb. "I don't know. We all saw that movie."

Silence sank into the thin gaps of the wooden floorboards, heavy and cold. Natsume stopped rubbing Nyanko-sensei's gigantic round belly that was exposed by the rolled-over cat. Nobody spoke for a while, and Kitamoto's words stayed in the air like dust that couldn't be gotten rid of.

.

.

.

"What time is it now?"

A drowsy Tanuma glanced at his wristwatch. "One forty."

"Is it me, or it's getting colder?"

"Well, it's the middle of the night, it makes sense…"

Silence again.

.

.

.

"Is it me, or it's getting colder?"

"You already said that, Nishimura."

"…It got cold like this when we saw her too…"

"Nishimura, shut up, please."

"What did I do?" the brunet angrily got up from his futon.

Kitamoto scoffed. "Just stay quiet."

.

.

.

"Tanuma, time?"

"Two-thirty…"

"I'm sleepy…" Kitamoto mumbled.

.

.

.

"Tanuma?" Kitamoto called.

They were all lying on their futons and staring at the light like captivated moths, completely tired out. Very slowly, the raven-haired held his hand up to look at his wrist. "Quarter past three."

"Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Sounds like it's very windy outside…"

Indeed, the whistles and moans of powerful, random gusts had been sounding from outside for a while now, but nobody wanted to mention it.

.

.

.

"It will come soon, Natsume. Are you prepared?" The cat stared at him.

"Sensei… Don't fall asleep please." Natsume pleaded quietly.

"Why would I do that, idiot."

.

.

.

Cold.

.

.

"I can't, I can't take this guys, help me move that chair to the door." Nishimura cried.

"That's a great idea."

.

.

Cold.

.

.

"What was that? Something snapped just now!"

"It was just the wall. You know, random noises, it happens in all houses."

.

.

Cold.

.

.

"My mum's not picking up… well it figures. It's very late."

.

.

"It's here, Natsume."

Would he have to give it away? The hated secret that he had to keep for such a long time? He dreaded the consequences...

Cold. Too cold.

There was a very discreet sound, like a wordless whisper, a breath, that reminded him of the thin legs of spiders that tickled the skin as they ran over it like tiny needles. Natsume sprang up, earning startled looks from his friends. His eyes darted around the room with urgency. Was it Kitamoto's imagination, or were his pupils- no, it was probably just a trick of the light.

"What's wrong-"

"Shh." He put a finger on his lips to silence them, and they immediately complied. Kitamoto and Nishimura had never seen their friend look so serious.

.

Cold.

.

It was very cold.

.

 _"TeLL mE BoYs, aM I bEaUtIfuL?"_

Nishimura, Kitamoto, and Tanuma screamed.

Something pitch black, like ink, was dripping from the sill of the closed window, going down the wall in curves, until it reached the floor, where there was puddle that was gradually growing larger, and there were bubbles on its surface, as if it was boiling.

Natsume grunted with frustration. Why hadn't he noticed it earlier? "Stand behind me!" he cried to his friends.

 _"aM I…"_

Fibers rose from the puddle, connecting and intertwining, slowly getting taller.

Nyanko-sensei hissed.

 _"aM I…?"_

Natsume found himself instinctively holding onto the dragon scale. It was warm to touch, unlike the usual cold. He felt something inside him twitch impatiently. The melted thing started to morph into something more humanoid, and the edges gained a dark red hue.

"What the hell is that?" Nishimura cried, his shaking hand struggling with the doorknob.

"O-Open the door!" Kitamoto yelled.

"I'm trying!" he snapped back.

Nyanko-sensei was suddenly a huge white inugami, barely fitting into the room. The three scared boys had to shield their eyes from the sudden gust of wind. They were not able to see him, but under the influence of the Kushisake Onna and the strong emotional state, they did sense a slight shift in the room, a presence...

 _"WhAt CuTe LittLe BoYs… I LoOk FoRwArD to sLittInG YoUr BeAuTiFuL MoUtHs."_

The red kimono, in all its magnificence, finally manifested. Natsume didn't take even one step back when those nasty little eyes met was not holding a fan anymore. The slit mouth formed a sickening grin of torn gums and bloodied teeth.

 _"aM I BeAUtiFuL, NaTsUmE tAkaSHi?"_

"You will not get past me." Nyanko-sensei growled fiercely. Bright blue light engulfed the room.

She writhed in agony when the beam hit her, but despite the intensity of the light, she moved towards the sand-haired pale teen, spreading her grey arms towards him, with crooked fingers and nails ready to dig into his flesh.

A deep growl came from Madara's throat, and his yellow eyes widened a bit. He was not able to stop her. Driven by a some crazy force, the mad woman pushed forward, despite the parts of her skin that were peeled off by the light.

 _"AhAHAha! AhAHAhA! AhAHAHahaAHaHahAhAHAhAhaahAaHHHaA"_

Natsume anxiously glanced over his shoulder, only for his heart to skip a beat.

Pure terror was etched on their faces. They had closed their eyes, blinded by the bright blue eyes, but their mouths were open, and the features were contorted from fright.

Natsume seized his pendant.

What did it matter if he couldn't keep it a secret anymore? It was time to stop being selfish and face the issue head-on. "Who sent you?" he demanded.

 _"yOu KnOw tHe NaMe, LittLe BoY! He ToLd Me hE oNLy wAnTs YoUr EyEs aNd I cAn HavE ThE rEsT oF yOU!"_

"I'm not going to give you anything." Natsume told her with a grim expression and carefully took off the pendant from around his neck. The blue dragon scale dangled from the silver thread. A wave of warm air blasted everyone in the room. Nyanko-sensei looked down at him with surprise.

Natsume was not sure exactly what he was doing, but decided to follow the strange impulse that made him take a few confident steps towards the slowly disintegrating figure. The Kuchisake Onna's wide grin got bigger, and some blood from the torn corners of her lips rolled down her neck. "ThAt'S rIgHt! CoME oVeR HeRe!"

Natsume felt it, deep within, a strange entity awaiting for his command. All he had to do was let it out. Just let it out… "I can't let you scare my friends like this…" He held up his hand.

The Juchisake Onna realized that this meant bad news for her, but her nasty eyes noticed the slight trembling of his fingers."YoU'Re aFrAiD!"

"Yes… I'm afraid, but not of you."

The bright blue light was enhanced until it shone so bright that Nyanko-sensei himself had to close his eyes and look away.

The kimono-clad woman melted away into ink and escaped through the thin gaps of the window with a desperate cry. The temperature returned to normal. The peculiar breeze stopped. The light faded away.

* * *

Okay... that's it for this chapter.

Well? Did I manage to make you sort of nervous while reading the part with the Kuchisake Onna? I relied on Nagatsuki Tappei's technique (he writes a WN named Re:Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu, and he has many chilling scenes that he writes like this, with repetition of words).

Sorry if I let you down, I wrote this whole thing in one go and didn't think things through.

I know that updates take awfully long, and the plot moves awfully slowly...

Natsume slowly builds up resolve. He'll need it for what is to come in the future. I have a very vague idea... I just need to make sure that it all flows smoothly, because there's a lot of material I want to cover and I fear that I might not make it. Anyway, I'll keep trying to shorten it, because, with the way things are going, it would take another fifty chapters to finish the story. Don't worry, I'm going to write that final chapter at some point in the distant future and I will be satisfied with my life. But it will probably not be fifty chapters... Maybe thirty? Hm... Anyway, this has just turned into a repetitive monologue, sorry if you actually read all this.

Thanks again for reading! Enjoy the following weeks!

Until next time!


	13. Lighter than Before

I added some stuff in the previous chapter, so if you read it before it was updated, go back and read that extra stuff, it's important!

Ok, so, the writing in the following two scenes is a bit wacky. I am on a skiing trip and it is a bit hard to focus on what I'm writing. I do not know if you will be satisfied with the way things are sorted out, or if every character acts according to their personality and not my own ideas, but hey, things are done now, there's no going back, and, this had to be done at some point, it still hasn't happened in the manga or anime if I recall, and yeah, I am completely uncertain about this, but well, read and evaluate, I'm glad you've read everything so far!

Once again, a big, big, big THANK YOU! I may reply to some of your reviews in the future, I feel that I ought to do that at some point. This story is officially one year old, and I am very grateful that there are lots of people that read it! Thank you for sticking around for a whole year!

So, without further ado, enjoy this chapter, and I APOLOGISE FOR THE CLIFFHANGER, I HAVE TO STOP ENDING THINGS LIKE THIS!

* * *

A whole minute passed and no one moved. In the stillness and silence, a heavy cloud of uncertainty rested its bulk in the tightly confined room. The ticking of Tanuma's wristwatch echoed softly like snowflakes landing on the windshield of a speeding car.

There was some nervous shuffling of feet and then someone spoke.

"…Is it… Is it gone now?"

Natsume didn't look. His hay-blond bangs had fallen over his eyes, and he was doing nothing to get them out of the way. He didn't have to look anyway. Kitamoto's voice was one that he could easily recognize.

"…Yes." Natsume murmured. He wanted to melt away, right then and there, to blend in like coffee with the swirly brown spots on the wooden floor boards, to be a forgotten stain that nobody would notice.

There was a sigh of relief, probably from Tanuma.

"Hey, Natsume…"

No response.

"Na-tsu-me." Nishimura repeated demandingly.

Hesitantly, he lifted his eyes from the floor. It was a questioning, timid glance, as if searching for approval for life itself. Was this going to be it? Was he going to be hated for keeping secrets, rightfully so, and then hated for what he was and what he had always been, ever since he was young- _a liar and a weirdo_ \- wasn't he?

Nishimura's brows were knitted. He took a loud step forward, suddenly appearing taller. "Why are you making such a pathetic face?"

"Nishimura-" Kitamoto grabbed his friend's hand to pull him back.

…It made sense. Of course they'd be angry. He had had so many chances to tell them properly, he had even let one slip by a while ago –yes, in fact, telling them when the Kuchisake Onna first appeared would have been ideal, and he might have been able to avoid some of the questions. But he hadn't, although Tanuma had so wisely tried to urge him to speak. And now he was paying the price.

"What was that, Natsume?" Kitamoto asked, more softly then the agitated Nishimura, yet with steeled determination to get answers.

Tanuma squirmed uncomfortably in the corner, deciding not to take part. Natsume had been too late and everything was revealed in the worst way possible.

Natsume exhaled with frustration. "…Does it matter really? It was probably just…just…"

"Yeah, it was JUST a creepy monster that tried to kill us. I'd say that matters all right." Kitamoto fumed.

"What do you want me to tell you?"

"Natsume, you-"

"I don't know anything." He snapped "It may have been a trick of the light. Maybe the wind got so strong that the window opened and the curtains started to move and-"

"…Are you kidding?" Kitamoto snarled with a scowl.

' _What in the world am I doing?'_ Natsume thought to himself. _'They know. They know already.'_

"I…" Natsume began, but couldn't continue the sentence. He just stood there with his arms hanging limply to his sides, his head hung down, his lips parted… breathless and dazed.

Nishimura broke free despite the tall brunet's struggle to hold him and strode across the room towards the hay-blond boy, who stumbled backwards.

Kitamoto shifted his weight nervously. "Hey…"

"No, Kitamoto, there are things that need to be said." Nishimura shushed him coldly.

The short, angry teen seized Natsume's collar and pulled him close to his face. Two scared honey-colored eyes tried to avoid Nishimura's intense gaze. Natsume's breaths were shallow and short. Nishimura's hands were firm and tight on his shirt.

"You've been tricking us all along, haven't you! Oh, don't get me started on your 'little secret' and the thing going on with Tanuma, everybody's noticed that there's something that only he and Taki know, it's plain as day! What, are we not worthy of knowing what this 'secret' is all about? Tanuma and Taki became your friends much later than Kitamoto and I did, yet you seem to feel more comfortable around them, and I hate to admit it, but it makes us" –he pointed at a flinching Kitamoto and then to himself- "feel like we're not being good friends to you, you know!"

"So, what's the big deal? You always run off and act strange and shout and cause a scene, and then you never explain what's wrong when you come back. Do you know how frustrating it is, to be aware that there's something troubling you and we have no clue what it may be to help you? You're our friend damn it, aren't we supposed to worry that you have gotten into trouble with some shady kids from your previous school that bully you or something?"

"Just a few weeks ago, someone attacked you, kidnapped you and did horrible things to you. Do you know how scary it is, to think that one of your friends has been murdered? And then, he comes back, and he acts as if nothing happened, just the same old Natsume. Didn't it affect you one bit? Weren't you scared? I bet you were, and I totally understand not wanting to talk about it, but that isn't the case at all. You weren't affected by it one bit, were you? You never did care about yourself. All you cared about was not making the Fujiwara couple or anyone else worry. Don't you understand that it's the exact opposite in fact? That this way you're making things worse?"

"Listen here, Natsume, I can understand not wanting to say anything, and I've been patient with your persisting silence since the beginning of our friendship, but I have to draw the line here because you're just going to keep on lying at this rate. Whatever are you scared of, you idiot? We're your friends! Don't you get it? I'm, no, _we_ are tired of your lies! Lies, one over the other, building up, and it just keeps getting worse! Stop lying and pretending all the time, damn it!"

Nishimura's grip on Natsume's collar finally loosened.

The boy staggered backwards.

 _~Liar_

.

" _Hey, what's up with him?"_

" _Don't you know? He's a liar. He says he sees things."_

" _Yeah, he's weird, right? He talks to himself all the time, he's crazy!"_

" _What do you want, weirdo?"_

" _It's not good to tell lies, my boy."_

" _It's because his parents died and he went crazy after that."_

" _This child is bad news, dear! He acts strangely…Says there are things in the house…"_

" _Why do you insist on lying? Do you actually think anyone will believe it?"_

" _Why did you push me? What's wrong with you?"_

" _His mother had similar issues, or so I heard…"_

" _Teacher, Natsume's telling lies again!"_

" _He's looking this way, creepy!"_

" _If you touch him you'll start telling lies too! His craziness is contagious!"_

" _Liar, liar, Natsume the liar!~ Liar, liar, Natsume the liar!~"_

…

A dark laughter. Red eyes gleamed in the darkness. Madoka's tail whipped the air with amusement, much like an old man would smack a table after winning a game of chess.

This was a dream. Madara had directly come to haunt him, in his weakest moment, succeeding in infiltrate his consciousness during wake-time.

"What's wrong, you filthy human brat? Are you having a hard time?"

Madara huffed scornfully.

"You saw my past before, so it is only fair that I see yours. I've got to say, it picked my interest. Why are you humans so disgusting? Both you and Reiko… You're all the same."

"Go away…" Natsume pleaded weakly.

"They hated you, didn't they? They called you a liar. They hurt you. And you hated them back. But when someone took you in, you acted like a dog and started licking their shoes. How could you forget about everything and give up your honor by joining them? I don't get it."

Natsume shook his head. "Humans know how to forgive."

"No. Forgiveness is a quality that humans lack," Madoka said with absolute certainty. "See? Now your friends have turned on you. And you're only thinking of pleasing them, that's your selfish desire. You're disgusting. You have no honor. I hate humans."

"You used to do anything to please your master once."

The moment those words reached Madoka's ears, the inugami snarled, baring blood-stained teeth and gum.

"I regret every second of my life that I served him. I was a fool for not seeing things as they were sooner. I was a fool for believing that humans can be good, that they can change. Even your children are savages. There is not a single one of you lot that hasn't committed a crime."

"When you looked at that baby, you felt that it was innocent. You saved Natsume from the flames. You believed that there was good in-"

"She was just a disgusting human! She deserved to be devoured by the flames like all of you! I should have known back then! You all grow up to become horrible monsters! Why don't you all just drop dead? Just die already! Just die! I hate you! I hate you so much!"

There was a terrifying low hum that got louder as the fire-colored inugami screamed. It echoed hollowly, on and on, making Natsume feel sick, like his own soul was being shaken with every sound wave. That's right, this was a dream, but that didn't mean that he was safe… If this continued, Madoka's rage could harm him…

There was a light and the red eyes dissolved along with the pitch darkness around them, leaving behind only a blank white.

' _Just as promised, I shall not allow any nightmares to visit you, Natsume Reiko's Grandson. I apologize for the delay.'_

The Baku had come just in time.

"Heh. As if that will stop me…" Madoka's voice faded away as well.

 _._

"Hey, Natsume…" Tanuma frowned.

Something was wrong. Natsume had started trembling all of the sudden and had folded in half as if in pain. His eyes were glazed over, holding an empty gaze, and his lips moved continuously, letting out incoherent whispers. The sharp sound of air, rapidly exiting and entering lungs made the rest of the boys realize the situation. He was hyperventilating.

Nishimura's expression changed to a concerned one and he quickly bent over his friend. "N-Natsume?" he called the name and hesitantly placed a hand on his shoulder. "I, I didn't mean to upset you so much, I…"

Kitamoto joined him. "It's okay, just take deep breaths and count with me, okay? Follow my lead… Try to concentrate on that…"

Natsume's wide eyes darted around the faces but didn't linger on anyone's too long. He tried to focus on the counting, just as Kitamoto had advised, but it only made him more anxious, he needed air, air, air-

"Nmuuu!"

A fat, round mass of fluff landed a harsh hit on Natsume's chin, sending his head back with a painful groan. His friends gasped as he landed on his back with a loud thud.

"Ponta!" Tanuma exclaimed with horror, feeling bad for the way that the old ayakashi had decided to deal with the situation.

But it had worked, it seemed. When Natsume rose from the floor, rubbing his aching chin with a displeased grimace, he was calm again. He glared daggers at the cat, which strutted around him with a proud smirk under the sly eyes and whiskers. ' _You're welcome'_ , Nyanko-sensei seemed to be saying.

"Are you okay, Natsume?" Nishimura asked and sat down next to him.

He nodded, still avoiding looking anyone in the eye, with his head hung low.

Tanuma and Kitamoto followed suit and they all found themselves sitting on the futons in a circle, with Nyanko-sensei stretching lazily in the middle and rolling on the sheets, exposing his large white belly.

There was silence again. Now that everyone was calm, there was a controversial intensity.

"What time is it, Tanuma?" Kitamoto nervously pointed at his friend's wrist.

"Almost half past three." He replied.

And then there was a pause again, and they all fidgeted uncomfortably.

What Nishimura had said was all true. Natsume had gotten carried away and lied way too often.

'… _I've grown so accustomed to hiding the truth, that it seems terrifying now to have to have to say it…'_

It was time to put an end to it. Fear gripped the edges of his heart, but he would push on, despite the weight that tried to hold him back. This was it. His chance. The only way.

"Sometimes there are things that cannot be said." Natsume began, with an uncertain quaver.

They looked at him quietly, patiently.

"Ever since I was small, I would sometimes see strange things. But nobody would believe me. So I learned that there are things that are better left unsaid. It was hard, learning that. So it is hard for me now to suddenly do the opposite."

He couldn't believe it, how the words were finally rolling off his tongue.

"But…"

Natsume looked up, and his orange tint eyes met those of his friends.

"But I don't want to do this anymore. I want to tell the truth… My truth. Yet by doing that now, I will ruin everything... and it's finally perfect… I don't…That's why I… I've always…"

And then the words disappeared again, and silence was reestablished. It was like an invisible barrier, stopping him from speaking, paralyzing his body and his mind.

There was a sigh.

But it wasn't Kitamoto. Nor Nishimura. Not Tanuma either.

"You idiot…"

The boys blinked, startled by the 'old-geezer' kind of voice, and looked at each other.

"…Why do you have to make things complicated?"

Natsume's breath was caught short.

"…Did the cat just talk?"

Nishimura's question was not given any attention. Because he had simply stated the obvious. The slitted pupils turned to him, and somehow, the cat's crooked mouth gave the impression of a grin. Natsume wasn't fast enough to prevent Naynko-sensei from causing a chaotic reaction. He stared at the cat with wide eyes.

The old ayakashi's grin widened ominously. He turned to Nishimura and Kitamoto.

"Bow before me, you lowly humans! I am a great spirit of power! I shall curse your children and bring disaster to your homes! Muahahahahaha!"

They screamed.

"NYANKO-SENSEI!"

.

.

.

Nyanko-sensei sat very quietly, rubbing his aching head. Natsume was grumbling angrily. Stupid fat cat. He had seriously done it this time. The boy would be sure to reduce his meals as punishment.

"No food for you today." He announced.

"…Nmu…"

"So, now that everyone has calmed down, let's take things from the start," Tanuma suggested, earning himself narrow-eyed glares.

They sat in a circle again, on top of the futons. It was nearing four o'clock in the morning. A talking cat was the last cherry on the cake, and everyone was exhausted.

"You can call me Nyanko-sensei." The cat started, while Natsume made sure to stare at him as warningly as he could. Nyanko continued: "I am indeed a great and powerful ayakashi, but I stay in this form because you brats would be too scared if you saw how I really look."

"…Um… Yokai-san?" Kitamoto timidly raised his hand, as if waiting for permission from a school teacher to speak.

But Nishimura beat him to it, enthusiastically bombarding him with questions. "Wow! That's so cool! What's your true form? What do you look like? Do you breathe fire? Are you a Nekomata? Or maybe, are you a lady in disguise? Wait, have you been living in your house with a yokai lady all this time, Natsume? How naughty!"

Nyanko-sensei's fur stood on edge and he turned helplessly to Natsume, who had his arms crossed and stared at the cat irritably.

"Sensei is an inugami. But he's also only a fat old cat that needs to go on a diet, he just doesn't admit it."

Nyanko-sensei scoffed.

"I have, unfortunately, made an agreement with this idiotic teenage student with barely average grades who doesn't even have a girlfriend and free-loads at the Fujiwara household, to act as his bodyguard for the time being."

"Oi, Sensei…"

"So, you're like his familiar or something? That's so cool!" Nishimura beamed.

"No," Natsume and Nyanko-sensei spoke simultaneously. Cat and boy exchanged nasty glares, irritated that they had replied in unison.

"So, do you exorcise evil spirits and the like? And you use spells and stuff, and you have a talking cat that battles the evil spirits?"

Natsume frowned. "It's not-"

"This is so manga-like, I can't handle it! Now how am I supposed to beat you?"

"…beat me?"

"I mean, I can't beat the charm of someone like you! You're already popular with the girls for some reason, it's just too much! Wait… is this why Taki… Natsume you sly worm!"

Kitamoto sighed with annoyance. "Nishimura, now is not the time for that."

"So, how come Tanuma knows about all this?"

"Now that you mention it…"

The two best friends turned to the silent, raven-haired boy who had tried so hard to remain uninvolved. Tanuma gave a nervous, crooked grin. "I've always been a little bit sensitive to spirits… I can't see them, but sometimes, I get headaches if they are nearby…"

"Oh," they simply said, not very fascinated.

"…why do I feel like I was just deemed uninteresting?" Tanuma mumbled. Nishimura just laughed and patted Tanuma's shoulder comfortingly.

Kitamoto turned to Natsume. "So, what do they look like? And have you seen a lot?"

He fidgeted uncomfortably. "They all look different… And, as for how many I have seen, I guess, a lot…"

"Wow…"

"Actually, there are many small ones living in the school," he added.

"The school."

"Yes."

"You mean, there are yokai in the school? It's haunted?" Kitamoto exclaimed in horror.

Natsume snorted at the suddenly concerned expressions.

"What? What's so funny?" Nishimura demanded.

"No, it's not haunted. Not all yokai are bad. Most just want to live in peace and quiet." He explained.

"…I see. Like Sensei here…" Kitamoto reached out to rub the fat cat. Nyanko-sensei closed his eyes and purred with content at the attention he was receiving.

"No, Nyanko-sensei doesn't want peace and quiet, he prefers to drink and party all night."

"And all day if possible," the cat added with a nod.

"But cats can't drink?" Nishimura cocked his head. "Oh, wait, that's right, you're not a cat…"

Natsume looked at Nyanko-sensei… And he couldn't control himself. It started off as a soft rumble. Then, it got louder and louder, a sound that filled everything, and he needed to open his mouth and release it or he'd explode. So he laughed, he laughed so much as he never had in his life, with the two rows of teeth clearly visible, his eyes half-closed and his nose wrinkled, huffing and giggling and clutching his belly, he laughed at the incredulous normalcy. It felt normal. It was all natural. They were talking about it and there was nothing weird about it anymore. All the fear, all the doubt, all the terrible possibilities, they were all gone, just like that, like sand whisked away by the light touch of a duster. It had been so easy, in the end. It was so ironic that he wanted to laugh for eternity.

For a brief second, Nishimura, Kitamoto, and Tanuma looked at him with surprise. But one after the other, they started joining him with their own hesitant laughter, until they were all laughing. Their uneven, cracking voices echoed in the whole house, bringing warmth to it like kind remnants of a summer melody, scaring away the cold that had nested in the empty, still rooms.

.

.

"That thing that attacked us today… is it gone for good?"

Kitamoto's question made everyone stir with unease under their blankets. The time was half past four in the morning. They had finally turned the lights off and snuck in their futons with tired eyes and messy hair.

Natsume gave him a drowsy smile. "Don't worry. It's safe."

The Kuchisake Onna had fled in fear, recognizing that her chances of successfully murdering the boy were slim. She would not go after him again.

"Guys, I'm so exhausted…" Nishimura mumbled and pressed the pillow against his face. "Why don't we leave the yokai talk for tomorrow? I think we all need some sleep."

"Ok, ok, but I do have one –actually, two more questions…" Kitamoto announced, earning an angry moan from Nishimura, who pressed the pillow with more force, his face disappearing entirely into the white mass. Kitamoto scowled. "What? You asked so many questions before, can't I ask any?"

Then, he turned to Natsume. "Besides Tanuma, Taki, Nishimura, and me, does anybody else know?"

Natsume was slow to reply. "No…"

"…Then… Fujiwara-san…"

"No, they don't… They don't know." Natsume managed to say, and his hand went to Nyanko-sensei's paws to rub them. After a while, he spoke again. "I think it's better this way. I don't want them to worry."

"Why would they worry, Natsume?"

"Hm?"

"Why would they be worried? Is it… not safe?"

Kitamoto had asked very softly, and he was not meaning to cause his friend any distress. He merely looked at him with tired eyes and an encouraging smile.

Natsume thought of his answer very carefully before giving it. "Sometimes, yokai come to me for some of their troubles… But I wouldn't want Shigeru-san and Touko-san to get involved."

"Haha, Natsume is a yokai-guru!" Nishimura snickered.

And while the other three boys grinned at that, Kitamoto found himself frowning with concern as he sunk back in silence. He knew that Natsume was not saying everything. And he could already tell that the whole 'was attacked by a random stranger, then fell into a river, then ran away into the woods for a few days' was actually a very different story. Kitamoto had figured out that what wounded his friend so gravely was not 'someone', but 'something'.

"Don't you ask for any compensation? I mean, you could make a fortune out of it…" Nishimura continued.

Tanuma gave the short boy a nudge.

"What, I'm just suggesting a very good idea."

"No, it's not good – And let's just go to sleep already! You're the one who said you were tired only a moment ago."

"Tch, fine…"

At last, peaceful silence. Nobody was talking. Nyanko-sensei's loud, rhythmic snoring was the alluring call of sleep, which tugged at their eyelids, forcing the muscles to go stiff and the mind to become hazy. One by one, the boys started to give in to that sweet stillness.

Before they fell into that state too, Natsume and Tanuma exchanged glances. They smiled at each other.

'Good job. It all went well.'Tanuma mouthed, and, blushing a little, Natsume nodded gratefully.

He fell asleep with that calm, peaceful smile, feeling lighter as a feather, freed from one of his burdens at last. Completely unaware…

.

.

.

They woke up approximately three hours later. The sun was up outside, but it was still too early. It had been too early for Nishimura's family to return home, but they did, and with some very bad news.

All the drowsiness and calm disappeared from Kitamoto's face and gave way to an expression that made his friends go pale when Nishimura's mother broke the news to him.

Kitamoto's little three-year-old cousin was missing as of the previous night. Sugawara Tomomi. That was also the police officer's daughter, the one who wanted pink napkins for all the guests…

Kitamoto rummaged through his bag and retrieved his cell phone with shaky hands. Eleven missed calls. He hadn't picked up once.

"My mum's going to drive you home, okay?" Nishimura said and gently placed a finger on Kitamoto's cell phone to grab his attention.

The tall brunet just nodded absent-mindedly, and then went on to mumble without paying any attention to any of the worried faces around him. "It's her birthday today. She's turning three. She invited me to her party… I was going to give her a teddy bear for a present. She loves bears. I know because we went to the zoo this summer and she was very excited. Her sister made bear-shaped cookies and she didn't eat them."

Nishimura looked around, not knowing what to do to consult his friend.

"Hey, Natsume…"

Suddenly, Kitamoto looked up. There was a very strange spark in his brown eyes. Natsume felt his worry deepen. Why was he looking at him that way?

"You can… You can find her, can't you? Sensei can find her…"

"What are you saying all of the sudden, Kitamoto?" Nishimura frowned.

"He can do it. He knows how to do all those weird things or whatever, I know that he could find her if he tried!" Kitamoto snapped.

Weird things? Natsume couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart at Kitamoto's words, but this was not about himself at the moment. He understood that Kitamoto was stressed right now and would not have talked like that under normal circumstances. He stared at those pleading eyes, not knowing how to reply. This was a very serious request.

Kitamoto lowered his gaze, realizing that he was being arrogant. "I'm sorry."

Natsume nodded silently.

Tanuma glanced at him quizzically. He did not like the look on the amber-eyed boy's face.

.

.

.

Kaiyo discreetly peered into the room through the half-open door. There he was, clad in black as usual, currently tying his long hair into his usual loose ponytail. It looked so soft. She still remembered how he used to braid her hair when she was little. Would she get to return the favor in the future?

"Someone said they saw a Kuchisake Onna around. Don't wander around without an escort, Kaiyo," he suddenly said, not even needing to turn around to tell she was watching him.

"I believe I would be able to stand my ground even without assistance."

"I do not think I can disagree."

"Then why, Seiji-kun? I can tell that something is wrong. There are more people in the yard than usual. Has a very powerful one appeared, perhaps?"

Finally, he turned around to face her. His one visible eye stared at her kindly, but his expression was stern. "A child has gone missing."

.

.

.

Natori made sure that his hat was properly sitting on top of his head. It was more of a nervous gesture than anything. He fixed his collar too, and then his hand went to his tie to straighten it.

Lots of exorcists had already gathered for the emergency summon. The rumors were already circulating, and the atmosphere was already heavy. It seemed, a child had gone missing, and, somehow, yokai were involved.

"Hiiragi."

The slender silhouette appeared behind him.

"I asked around. It seems that the child has wandered to the place where no human shall go."

"…"

The one-eyed mask titled, and the few light-colored strands of hair fell unevenly on Hiiragi's shoulder. "Unfortunately, I do not know the whereabouts of this place and may not be allowed to go either, for I serve you."

"I understand. But I'm sure that the Matoba clan will force the tale out of a yokai very soon. That's the way they do things." Natori speculated with a grim expression. "It wouldn't surprise me if they decided to invade the place… But the consequences would be grave. It would be a declaration of war beyond any other. The presence of exorcists has always been a strain… but an invasion of their sacred grounds…" he trailed off, and glanced down at his hand, where the small shadowy form of a lizard slithered through his fingers and disappeared into his sleeve. "Hiiragi. Go confront that fat cat that hangs around Natsume about this. Get any possible information out of him. And make sure he gets that Natsume should not be involved in any case."

.

.

.

"…my dear one… my dear one!..."

Natsume couldn't bear to look at the small, mouse-like yokai that was sobbing uncontrollably at his feet. Its wailing was heart-wrenching and made him feel furious at the Matoba clan. They had just grabbed one of the yokai and took it back to their mansion to force information out of it. The ayakashi in front of Natsume was the abducted one's friend…

"Those scoundrels again…" Hinoe mumbled angrily, releasing all the smoke from her pipe at once.

Next to her, the gigantic Misuzu shook his head in a dog-like fashion, and the bells on his ear chimed angrily. The chukyuu took care to move a little bit further away as to not disturb the agitated ayakashi, while trying to console the tiny mouse-like one that was crying by patting its shoulders and nodding sadly.

"I hear it is a big matter in the human world when a child of man is lost," Chobihige said with his big, expressionless eyes.

"It's a mess! Those police people spread around like cockroaches!" Nyanko-sensei added, his own stub of a tail moving from side to side with irritation. "But what I do not get is why the exorcists are being the cockroaches this time!"

"I-It's because…" the small mouse-like yokai suddenly begun, looking up from its hands to Natsume's face "…it's because… because a human child wandered into sacred land, forbidden for humans!"

There were some gasps from the chukyuu.

Hinoe stood up abruptly. "You don't mean…"

The little yokai nodded affirmatively before breaking into sobs again. Mizusu narrowed his eyes and Nyanko-sensei murmured with unease. Natsume noted the reactions, and the unsettling feeling in his stomach became worse.

"How can we get there?"

The mouse-like ayakashi shook its head. "The one who opened a path to those lands was a powerful one… the child happened to wander those parts while the path was still open… But that powerful one is long gone, Natsume-sama! There's not a trace left…"

He turned to the cat. "Sensei?"

"I do not know…" Nyanko-sensei admitted, "I have never tried getting there before…"

"I have been there once. I know how to get there." Misuzu stated.

Natsume stared back at the cat with resolve.

"I do not like this look," Nyanko-sensei mumbled.

"I am going there to get her back." The boy announced, and all the yokai around him fell silent with shock.

Hinoe stomped the floor angrily. "Natsume, the land of ayakashi is not one for humans! The moment you step there, they're going to-"

Natsume, however, was already forming a plan. "Nyanko-sensei, you're staying here."

The cat wiggled his paw in the air in protest. "What? And I'm going to miss all the great sake?"

"You will pose as me so that Touko-san and Shigeru-san won't know that I'm gone and worry. Misuzu… will you please help me get there? I would be very grateful…"

"…It would be no problem, Natsume-dono. However, are you certain that you want to go? May I suggest sending someone else?"

Natsume looked at the eager smile that appeared on Hinoe's purple lips and the excited gleam in the chukyuu's eyes, and he shuddered. As much as he trusted them, he wasn't sure that any yokai would be able to look after a child. Not that he himself was the best choice, but at least he was aware of human needs and could, theoretically, take on that role...

"I think it would be best if a human went, after all..."

The gigantic ayakashi blinked in understanding. "Let us depart in an hour then, Natsume-dono."

He nodded with gratitude. "Thank you, Misuzu."

"What? What, what, what? You're going to such a great place and I'm not coming?" Nyanko-sensei complained. "Do you have any idea how great the sake there is? Me neither! I want to find out! I have to find out! My lifetime wish is to try every kind of sake there is! Oh no, I'm not going to let this go so easily, you hear? You owe me infinite extra bowls! No, double infinite! You will give me food everytime that I ask! Hey, are you listening, Natsume? Infinite!"

"I'll try bringing some sake back for you to try, Sensei." Natsume assured him playfully and patted the cat's multi-colored head.

"Ah... Now, that sounds more like it. But wait, I will still miss all the sightseeing!"

* * *

Well, this is getting a bit frustrating, there are more knots tied than knots being untied at this point. I hope it doesn't discourage you from reading further...

I'm so sorry for ending this chapter here... I wanted to write so much more! But, I have bad news, unfortunately, there will be a delay in the next update. Midterms are coming, and I also have to update my other two fics (which I never intended to write, but hey, imagination happens and I can't stop it from exploding). I hope it's not long. And I'm so hyped to write the next chapter, I will probably find a way to get this done sooner than I think...

I want to thank juliatran921114 for offering to translate this fic! ^^THANKS! I am very honored!

As always, thank you for reading! I will appreciate any feedback on this chapter, as it was quite a challenge to write the first part as I mentioned at the beginning.

Oh, and, I wish you all a happy new year!

Until next time (hopefully not that long)


	14. The Far Away Land

Yay! New chapter!

I'm not really sure what to say, other than the fact that I hate the previous two chapters (especially the Red Cold Flowers one). But I really LOVE this one. It's inspired by Spirited Away. I tried to make it sound like that world. Maybe I tried too much for the sake of the story though... Maybe it came off as awkward? Well, either way, I love the concept! I'M SO EXCITED!

I almost spoiled all of you with the plot of the following chapters! I had a summary of the chapters at the end and I almost forgot to erase it. Oops. Well, all is well, fortunately, I didn't goof up. Thank the ending author's note for that, otherwise, I wouldn't have seen the potential disaster!

Anyway, I don't have much to say other than, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it.

Off you go then!

(as always, I haven't proofread. My apologies.. )

* * *

Natsume squirmed uncomfortably. He was not used to wearing traditional clothing. The layers of clothes under his blue haori made him feel as if his movements were restrained. He had no idea where the forest yokai had found these clothes, but he was glad. This way he would be able to blend in more easily.

"You look great, Natsume. You'd be very pretty if you were a girl…" Hinoe said and teasingly blew smoke on his face. Natsume grimaced, waving the small cloud away. "Now there is one more thing that I'd add.."

He waited patiently as the purple-lipped woman tied the blank rectangular paper mask for him. As usual, it covered half of his face and obstructed most of his view, much to his dismay. Hinoe brushed his bangs aside with a smile. "There, all done."

Natsume and Hinoe walked up to the clearing where Misuzu was awaiting. The great bull yokai had gathered his familiars, most of which were tiny green frogs with single yellow spots on their backs, chirping rhythmically in rows before the wide horse grin and the big swirly eyes of their master, their little mouths opening and closing in excitement. Natsume had never seen so many frogs before and it was sort of mesmerizing to view the tiny army.

"Don't you dare forget about souvenirs!"

Ah. Of course. The fat ayakashi was there too, eyeing the frogs in a very concerning manner.

"I'm not going there for fun, Sensei."

"Tch. You're missing so many opportunities. Hey, why don't you send me instead? You stay here, I'll go get the kid."

"I really doubt you can handle a three-year-old."

"You never know unless you try."

Natsume rolled his eyes. "Listen, Nyanko-sensei, and listen well because I will only say this once." He approached the fat cat with one finger pointing up in an intimidating way. The fact cat gulped. "You will absolutely not embarrass me in front of the Fujiwara. Got it? You won't eat so gluttonously like last time."

"I can't help it, your share of lunch, dinner, and breakfast is always so much more than mine, and you are always allowed to get seconds…"

"Sensei, please control yourself just this once, and I'll buy you lots of manjuu when I come home for compensation."

"As many as your wallet can afford." The cat nodded with satisfaction.

"Natsume-dono." Misuzu interrupted, the bells clinging pleasantly at the slightest motion of his head. "We should depart now. If the sun rises to the middle of the sky, I cannot guarantee passage."

He reached for the pendant around his neck, feeling the smooth surface of the blue scale with care. Once it was off, he sensed the breezes shift around him, rustling the bushes and whooshing through the bare branches of trees. The tiny frog familiars chirped jubilantly. He knew that if he were to look in a mirror, his reflection would be that of a white-haired, green-eyed Natsume Takashi who bore the eyes of dragons. But he still felt the same Natsume Takashi that would help carry Touko-san's shopping bags. The blue dragon scale seemed to pulsate reassuringly between his fingers.

"Time to go then, I guess… Nyanko-sensei." He said, and for some reason, everything seemed otherworldly. Knowing that the fat cat would not accompany him was unnerving.

"I guess it is." The multi-colored fat ayakashi yawned and stretched his front short legs lazily, completely unfazed.

Natsume's expression softened. He kneeled down and patted the fluffy cat's head, then got up again and walked away without saying anything. Nyanko-sensei, fortunately, did not make any comments.

Misuzu waited for the nod of confirmation from the boy and upon receiving it, a tremor ran through his body and his purple hair shook in the air, accompanied by the jingles of bells and the chirps of the chorus of frogs.

"Don't you worry, Madara, we're going to have as much fun as we can in your stead!" Hinoe shouted to be heard above the clamor. Nyanko-sensei scoffed.

Misuzu lead the parade of frogs into the trees, which swayed and shifted like melting candles, the brown colors of their trunks and branches fading away into something indiscernible. Natsume could hear faint cheerful music coming from that swirly image.

He walked close behind Misuzu, with Hinoe by his side. The Chuukyuu were singing and waving their sake bottles around to bid them farewell.

The shifting bright blur was too much for his eyes, so he shielded them with a pale hand, and waited patiently for the colors to stabilize again.

Then, everything took shape around them all too suddenly. The frogs came to an abrupt stop and he stumbled in an attempt to avoid stepping on them. Misuzu turned around to face him, a huge wide grin of square teeth present on his face.

"We are here. Welcome to the land of spirits, Natsume-dono."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~

They were everywhere, short and chubby, tall and slender, horned, one-eyed, winged, clawed, tailed, masked, red, black, grey, green, blue, the variety of ayakashi was captivating. The hustle and bustle echoed throughout, a throbbing life. The food stalls at each side of the street were decorated with glowing red and yellow lanterns, and were filled with customers that were chugging down the slippery noodles from their bowls, or tearing the juicy flesh of delicacies on sticks with sharp teeth. The buildings were traditional, with red beams and black rooftops, and above, connecting either side of the road, were even more lanterns. Up ahead, there was a crossroad where many of the bigger yokai were walking or slithering, and between them rushed smaller figures that were busy carrying things for various errands. Carriages lifted clouds of dust and coughs echoed in irritation. The flutes whistled peculiar tunes, louder and louder for each song, and then starting slow again at the beginning of a new one, only to end it with the same trick of recycled enthusiasm that was however fresh to all the ears that had an unquenchable thirst for fun. The smell of alcohol, steamy foo, and smoke burned the nostrils, but it wasn't unpleasant.

The place had a kind of dusty feel to it, but it was in no way to be considered the kind of energy-less old. No, it was the opposite. It was a place so full of life that time itself had a hard time keeping a steady pace. It seemed to flow faster out of sheer thrill, yet it still gave every little thing the pampering of attention. So many colors and details and motions that he didn't know what to observe first. Just like that, Natsume found himself unable to take his eyes off the scene.

"Ohoo, this place is not half bad!" Hinoe exclaimed, staring around in awe while smoking her pipe. "The doll cat is going to be so jealous!"

Misuzu suggested. "Let us go somewhere quieter, Natsume-dono. I will lead the way."

The boy blinked with surprise upon hearing the gigantic yokai's deep voice. He had completely forgotten that he was there. The little frogs had climbed up on their masters' clothes and hair, sticking on like a dozen of green sequins so as not to be stepped on by the crowd.

"Thanks, Misuzu." He nodded.

They started walking slowly, and Natsume's attention returned to the surroundings. He glanced over his shoulder. A big tattered gate, not the toori kind, but still looking sinister and important, stood just where they had appeared. It appeared that space had not yet settled there, as the colors were distorted and unclear.

"It stays like that for a while, until eventually, it goes back to normal. Another may wish to reopen this passage from somewhere else to come here then." Misuzu explained, noticing the boy's turned head.

"I see… So Kitamoto's cousin wandered here because it hadn't yet closed…" he muttered to himself and pushed his paper mask a little bit to the left so that he could see better with at least one eye out in the clear.

It was a long walk, but it certainly was not boring. There was so much going on around them to see that, for a brief moment, he wished he could have a whole of three days to rest there and explore everything. Street musicians humming and looking pleadingly at passer-bys, elegantly dressed yokai of great power and sly eyes blowing wind around with their fans, little ones sneaking around and avoiding being stepped on with an experienced skillfulness, sweaty cooks pouring soups in pots, carriages where the carrier was five times smaller than the one they were pulling, or carriages the size of a basketball, clothes shops, shady yokai selling shady goods, inns, tea houses, and more, much more.

Eventually, they reached a somewhat grandiose, somewhat tarnished mansion. Two short frog-like yokai stood at the tall, wide door, one at each side, to welcome the guests. Natsume noticed the wooden sign that hung above them. It read, simply, 'Teahouse', making him raise an eyebrow. The thin layer of brown paint on the wooden pillars was missing patches and had faded away, and the floorboards creaked beneath their feet as they climbed the few steps.

"Welcome." The two frog-like yokai bowed deeply in unison and held the doors wide open for them to pass.

It smelled nice, like freshly washed hair…Natsume inhaled deeply, with his chin raised so that he could look at the peculiar colorful ribbons that were hung from the porch as they walked underneath it. At the end of the ribbons, there were tiny golden bells, that jingled serenely as Misuzu's ears grazed them. On cue, another yokai appeared and bowed at them.

"We will not stay for long. We wish to converse." Misuzu informed.

Again, the yokai bowed. "I will show you to the room. Follow me please, esteemed guests."

Natsume felt a little bit aloof. The roles were reversed. Instead of a yokai entering a human dwelling, it was the opposite. He pulled at his paper mask, making sure that it covered most of his face, and focused on walking with confident steps behind the frog-armored Misuzu. As they made their way to of multiple thin paper shoji doors, they passed by a couple of drunken-looking Tengu that paid them no heed, and woman-or was it a man?- that smiled widely at them, a bit too widely perhaps, with a fluffy fox tail twitching behind her. Things creaked and steps echoed, yet there was a strange, uneasy silence because of the lack of voices.

"Please have this room, esteemed guests." The little yokai kneeled down as it came to a stop before one of the doors, and pushed it open.

Quietly, Misuzu, Hinoe, and Natsume entered, and the door discreetly closed behind them. Being the only human in the room, Natsume felt that his heart was ready to shoot out of his chest.

There were many yokai on sitting cushions of all sizes to accommodate for the variety. Some of them were sitting at one table and were engaged in whispery, serious talk. There were others, in clusters, more jolly and there to gossip. Then there were some lonesome ones, maybe trying to overhear, or perhaps waiting for someone else to arrive, that shot suspicious glares at the others. But they all turned to examine the newcomers and the room fell silent for a brief second.

"Misuzu-sama. It is a pleasant surprise to see you here. You rarely visit if it's not spring."

Natsume looked at the undeniably pretty woman that had stood up to greet them. He immediately noted her piercing violet gaze and the waterfall of black hair that flowed down her shoulders down to her waist, and the way her kimono swayed with her movements.

"Eiko." The bull yokai greeted with a nod. The little frogs on his clothes peeped cheerfully in recognition of the woman.

The violet eyes fell on Hinoe and Natsume, narrowing curiously.

"They are my company. Unfortunately, I will not stay here for long. There is something that needs to be taken care of as soon as possible." Misuzu told her.

"Ah, I see. To have come to this teahouse, I understand it must be important business. Well then, have a seat."

Slowly, the conversations in the room picked up from where they had left, and the glances became occasional and less interested. Natsume sat down on a cushion between Hinoe and Misuzu, feeling rather uncomfortable. The woman sat opposite them.

"So, what kind of information would you like me to provide you with?"

There was a pause as a small yokai arrived at their table and served them tea. Natsume looked up and nodded at it with gratitude. The yokai's expression stiffened at that and it hurried to finish its job, muttering apologies as it left. Natsume felt confused and guilty as he watched it go, unable to figure out what he had done wrong.

"I'd like to know if a human child has been seen wandering around." Misuzu continued. The woman's violet eyes widened for a second before her face returned to calm.

"A child wandered here on accident and you're looking for it before someone catches it, may I assume?"

"I would not know," Misuzu replied sternly. "Was a child seen?"

"Say, Misuzu-sama, do you happen to have a soft spot for that child? Correct me if I'm wrong." She said bluntly.

Misuzu blew air from his nostrils, and the terrifying grin of square teeth appeared on his face. "I was merely in festive spirits. Maybe having a soft, crunchy delicacy wouldn't be bad."

Natsume gulped nervously. Hearing those morbid words made an unpleasant shiver run down his spine. Eiko didn't bat an eyelash at that comment, not seeming to believe it at all.

"Now now, I'm not going to make trouble for you. I am just curious." Eiko smiled."You are in luck, in fact. I did happen to overhear an interesting conversation a while ago."

She brought her cup to her lips to take a sip. Steams escaped the cup as she set it back on the table. Natsume stared at the green liquid inside her cup. Half of the surface had frozen and the temperature difference made the ice evaporate.

"There were two, sitting on that table over there. Now it's only one. The other one left." She nodded towards a table at the far back, where a bulky horned yokai was drinking tea. "They talked about business mostly. The other one mentioned that something strange happened in his shop today. 'A troublesome guy came in and he kept making weird noises and shouting, and he smeared his weird liquids all over', is how he described it. 'He was wearing some kind of weird clothes… I'd never wear something that embarrassing', that's also what he said." Eiko narrated, with a straight face but ridiculously high-pitched voices to represent the yokai's words.

"Impressive. You recall every detail." Hinoe praised and picked up her cup.

"It seemed interesting, that is the only reason why I remember such a thing." Eiko replied and glanced once more at Hinoe with interest. But before she could start another talk, Misuzu interfered.

"Was there anything else?"

"Hm… I don't think so. I happened to hear where that happened, if you're interested."

Natsume sprang up. "That would be very helpful!"

He wanted to slap himself for that sudden enthusiastic exclamation. Every yokai in the room had turned to look at him suspiciously. Someone muttered something about 'annoying loud customers'. It didn't last long however, as it was only momentary attention. He closed his mouth abruptly and straightened his back, but it was too late, the violet eyes were already glued on him. Misuzu and Hinoe tensed.

"You… who are you?" Eiko asked quietly. She stretched her arm, and her slender fingers slowly headed for the paper mask that was covering most of his face from view. Natsume panicked and grabbed her wrist an inch away from his face, forcing her to a stop. He shivered. Her skin was cold as ice and electrifying to the touch.

"You are… human, aren't you?" she mumbled in a low voice.

Natsume gritted his teeth and got ready to stand up, but Hinoe placed a hand on his shoulder and held him down.

"A human boy, huh….Your voice is young and full of fire. I hate fire." The raven-haired woman simply remarked and withdrew her hand. "What's your name?"

"He is Natsume Reiko's grandson." Hinoe answered in his stead.

"Natsume? Ha… I see. You've been returning the names lately, I heard. You hear a lot of things in this place."

He decided to be blunt. "…Eiko-san… Is your name in the Yuujinchou as well?"

For a moment, nobody spoke. But Natsume clearly felt the temperature drop at least five degrees in the room. The hairs at the back of his neck rose, but he stood still as a rock.

"You're sharp. I dislike it when others have such a trait." The yokai woman finally said and proceeded to discreetly stand to announce her departure. "I will not be involved any further. But I shall tell you where to go."

"Tha-"

"Don't thank me, boy. Thank Misuzu-sama for being on good terms with me."

.

.

.

"…a small one, up to here…" he put a hand below his waist to indicate the height of the child. "With unusual clothes!" He added hopefully.

The one-eyed yokai shook its head negatively.

"I see… thanks."

Natsume walked away and his eyes darted around the crowd with a worried frown above them, unsure of whom to ask about the little girl. The little frog that had nested in his hands let out a thin and crackly ribbid, turning its little body to the left. Misuzu had provided him with one of his familiars that knew the area well enough to guide him through the maze of streets.

Natsume glanced at the direction that the frog was sticking its tongue out and he spotted Hinoe, making sweet eyes with a food stall owner. She chuckled with a sleeve over her mouth, and the other ayakashi talked to her happily. Then she spun on her heels and waved at Natsume. His face lit up.

"What happened?" he asked as he approached her with an excited gait.

Hinoe pointed at her face with a nail, a pucker appearing between her eyebrows.

Natsume touched his cheek with a small 'o' in his lips, then scratched it nervously as he realized that Hinoe was wondering where his mask had gone. "Oh, it got ripped when I passed by someone with horns a while earlier…"

She sighed. "Never mind. I don't think anyone would recognize you or pay much attention in this crowd. And you already blend in perfectly with those eyes of yours."

"…"

"I've got some news."

He looked up at her with hopeful dread, an emotion that was starting to tire him out a lot over the last few hours.

"Apparently, shortly after the ruckus that the child caused, some powerful one appeared and took it away."

"Took it away?" Natsume felt his heart skip a beat, and his green eyes widened.

"They apologized for the mess and even paid… Sounds courteous."

"We need to find her… She… She's still a three-year-old…She's!-"

"Calm down Natsume." Hinoe squeezed his shoulder with a little bit more pressure than necessary, but he still didn't look up.

"A child is-"

She immediately put her hand over his mouth, muffling his words. Startled, Natsume grabbed her arm and tried to pull her away.

"Calm down Natsume. Someone might hear."

He had never been so worried in his life. Sure, there had been times when he had been tormented by constant wariness as those he cared about were in risk, but this time, it was suffocating. At any second, anywhere, the child could be hurt or even…at any second, Kitamoto's little cousin could be lost forever… Right now. Even right at that moment, she could be in grave danger, and he could do nothing.

Hinoe sighed. "Let me handle this. I more or less have an idea where they went after the whole incident, according to the stall owner's words."

Slowly, she withdrew her hand. Natsume stayed quiet and just nodded, staring down at the smooth cobblestones beneath his sandals.

' _What a strong power! I didn't know humans could feel such a strong frustration.'_ Hinoe thought, rubbing her hand with unease. _'This is bad. Never mind me, if he keeps sulking like that, he's going to affect the others around him and attract lots of attention…'_

Indeed, there were already some ayakashi going inexplicably quiet as they passed by. They looked around with confusion, not knowing what it was that suddenly made them feel so worried.

And Hinoe wasn't going to let them figure it out.

"Let's go, Natsume."

A small furry brown hand suddenly pulled on Hinoe's sleeve. She raised an eyebrow.

" _E-Excuse me… Are you perhaps…?"_

The willowy woman and the silver-haired boy flinched.

.

.

.

The fine silk was ever so soft to the touch. As if powdered by silver dust, it sparkled under the light of the lanterns. Colors of violet blended in smoothly with deep and lighter blue.

He held it up to admire it, but his eyes found something else to look at. His lips formed a tender smile upon seeing the two black pigtails of his unusual companion moving up and down happily.

"Nostalgic…"

"What is the matter, Sir?"

"Hm? Oh, I was just thinking that I like this ribbon very much. How much is it?"

"The ribbon only, Sir?" the small one-eyed yokai asked for confirmation.

"Yes, just the ribbon. Will this much do?"

The pale fingers revealed the money and a gasp followed.

"Ah a a! This is, this is too much for just a ribbon!"

"Your honesty is appreciated. Still, it would not do to give any less for such a pretty thing."

The shiny coin landed in the hands of the astounded yokai. Its single eye locked on it with a glimmer of awe. "Th-Thank you very much for your generosity!"

The blue eyes narrowed kindly. The tall, winged figure turned around and walked away, as two black pigtails moved up and down happily behind him. He looked down at his cheerful companion. He had promised himself not to get close to any humans again but… He just couldn't help it this time.

"Nostalgic…" he mumbled.

The two big eyes locked onto his own with innocent wonder. "Ri, what is not-sa-li?"

"Nostalgic, it's when you remember something that made you happy." He tried to explain.

A frown. "Chocolay is noslagist."

"I guess it is." He agreed, not really sure what the child was referring to.

The girl's chubby hand searched into the small front pocket of her pink dress and withdrew with something shiny and crumbled. "Ri want chocolay?"

"Thanks but I'm okay…"

"I want hair like Ri, one day I will be big and have blue hair too, and I will have a blue cat and three dogs! But we will live in a pink house because I like pink." She shouted and bit down on the chocolate with determination.

He watched the little girl munch on the chocolate with a smile. The care-freeness of human children had always amazed him.

"I have a present for you."

"Ri has? For me?"

Riou kneeled down. Even then, he was so much taller than her. "This is for you." He showed her the newly-purchased ribbon.

"Ah! Pretty!" she cried enthusiastically and immediately tried to snatch it out of his hands.

"Hold on, little one. I will put it on you, so just be patient." He pleaded.

Gently, those pale fingers, huge in comparison to the small and fragile child, somehow managed to undo the two pig tails in a few seconds and to tie the hair up with the ribbon.

"There, all done."

"How I look, how, how? I wanna see!" the little girl requested.

"Hm… A mirror… Let's see…" The tall ayakashi got up on his legs again, looking around skeptically. "There was one back in the shop, I think…"

The little girl twirled around cheerfully, letting Riou think about it. She tapped her shoes on the cobblestones rhythmically, avoiding the gaps, and pretending to be a dancer, like those she had seen on the television.

And then, two strong hands seized hold of her shoulders firmly. Curious, she turned around to see who it was.

An unknown woman with a scary face and red eyes.

"You are Kobayashi Tomomi child, are you not?" the stranger demanded loudly, threateningly to the confused girl's eyes

That was all it took for the waterworks to begin. The cries left little Tomomi's throat, startling Hinoe enough to make her let go. The frightened child ran for cover behind the white feathers of Riou. A few surrounding yokai looked their way with annoyance.

Riou spread his wings warily, eyeing the stranger with angry blue eyes. Who was that stranger that had dared induce fear to the little girl to the point that she was crying?

"This is a misunderstanding…" Hinoe tried to explain, holding up her arms to send the message that she had meant no harm.

"Riou-sama!"

The blue-haired ayakashi's eyes widened in recognition of the voice. He looked down with surprise at the panting silver-haired boy that had just arrived to the scene, accompanied by one of his yokai subordinates. Natsume supported his upper body on his knees as he caught his breath. The little frog that had snuck in the collar of his haori emerged with dizzy chirps.

The wings drooped and the blue eyes softened, however, the suspiciousness didn't fade away from the tall ayakashi's face.

"…Who-"

"Riou-sama, it's me, Natsume Takashi." He replied between the heaving.

This time, every ounce of wariness disappeared. An apologetic smile, warm and bright, as Natsume remembered Riou to be, came into view. "I see…My apologies, the appearance fooled me…"

Natsume's green eyes fell on the little girl that was peeking at him behind the safety of the ayakashi's wing. He felt a pang in his heart as the child withdrew with fear upon spotting his cat-like pupils. But more importantly…

"Don't worry, she's not hurt," Riou reassured before he could ask. "I suppose her family is looking for her… How irresponsible of me to forget about something so important. My apologies, Natsume. I got carried away."

"Ri, who…?" the little girl asked hesitantly.

Natsume smiled at her. "I'm your cousin's, Kitamoto Atsushi's friend."

"Atsu's friend?" she repeated and took a step forward.

"I'm Natsume Takashi. I'm here to take you home."

Her little foot stomped the ground. "No!"

"Eh?" he looked at the sulky little girl with confusion.

"No! I don't want home! I want with Ri!" she stubbornly shook her head.

"But-"

"No! No! I stay!"

Natsume sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Hinoe shrugged. He was very relieved to find the girl safe and sound by some divine luck. He was very thankful to Riou-sama for taking care of her. But he had never anticipated this kind of problem.

...

The violet eyes watched carefully. The ribbon, _her_ ribbon, was being examined by the Riou-sama that she had heard some rumors about. She knew that she shouldn't feel that way, but…

"Even after all these years… You still have me in your trap…" she whispered, and her misty breath made the red column she was hiding behind freeze over.

She had given it away exactly because she wished to get away from it all. She had forced herself to stop thinking about the ribbon. And now, all of the sudden, it was in front of her again.

Then her violet eyes fell on a glimpse of pink, barely visible behind the shaded forms of the things for sale in the antique shop.

Soon enough, Riou-sama and a human child made their way into the street.

Not only the ribbon but a child too?

How cruel coincidence could be...

* * *

Ta-da!

Yep, I have things to unfold in the next chapter! And oh my, the things that are to come in the next chapters... (I tried planning a bit because there were a lot of ideas and I needed to organize at last). I am so excited guys! I can't wait to see this fic contain all those future chapters!

Thank you for your support, dear readers! And thank you for your reviews! You're the boost in the motivation that I need! I greatly appreciate your presence! Some of you are here since the early beginning of this fic, and that really amazes me! And then, there are some of you who came in with so much enthusiasm lately that made me get all fired up again! I can never thank you enough!

I tried to reply to some of your reviews privately, I hope you didn't mind the PM (I'm a bit awkward when it comes to being a person, haha...*nervous and at the same time a tad sad laughter). I will attempt to reply to some more this time around as well.

Also, I've changed the description of the story. I think it's a bit better now. But it still does not quite fit the story. I think I'll be able to write a good and accurate description only once I've finished this fic.

I will be seeing you next chapter. Till then, please accept this big virtual THANK YOU sign as a token of my gratitude for your support.

Bye!


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